Things Like This Happen III: Destiny or Fate
by royalfortressmeadow
Summary: She spent one night at a motel with him. She spent the next night dreaming of him. But the question still stands. What will become of Edo and Asuka? Will there ever be a romantic relationship between them? Or will an ex lover stand in their way?
1. Chapter 1

_**Things Like This Happen III: Destiny or Fate  
**_

**Chapter 1**

She was annoyed with many things. First, the growing attraction. Second, the dream. And third? The phone call.

"Stupid phone call…" Asuka muttered as she walked around the streets of Domino. That call turned out to be from her big brother, Fubuki Tenjoin. He was returning her call and was wondering why she did not leave a message. She told him she was fine. She did not feel like talking about the incident that happened that night.

Asuka continued walking around the city, wondering how to cure her current obsession. She stopped upon seeing the Grand Hyatt up ahead. She sighed. This hotel was where Edo was staying. Should she go see him? Or will it just make her condition worse? Asuka sighed again, this time even more frustratingly.

"I'm an idiot." She said to herself, walking towards the hotel.

* * *

"_Hello, this is the Grand Hyatt, how may I help you?" _

Asuka heard the lady at the front desk, who had just answered a phone call.

"_I'm sorry sir. That room is unavailable. Alright then, thank you for calling!"_

The lady put down the phone. "Hi!" she greeted Asuka cheerfully, "Welcome Grand Hyatt! How may I help you?"

"Hi," Asuka said, "My name is Asuka Tenjoin. I'm a friend of Edo Phoenix. He told me he's staying in this hotel."

"Yes, he is." The lady confirmed.

"Um… Could you tell me his room number please?" Asuka asked sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but Mr. Phoenix gave us strict orders not to tell any _fangirl_ his room number."

"_Fangirl?_" Asuka repeated. "I'm not a fangirl… I'm a friend of his."

"Yes, that's what they all say." The lady said. "Ma'am, you're the _thirty-sixth_ girl who's asked me that question. And that was only for today. Another _twenty-four_ asked me yesterday. Almost half of them told me that they were a friend of his. Mr. Phoenix does not want to be disturbed. I'm sorry."

"But I _am_ a friend of his! Call him if you want! Tell him my name!"

Not far from the front desk were the elevators. One of them slowly opened its automatic doors. As Edo walked out of the elevator, the first thing he saw was the small commotion at the front desk. It wasn't really a commotion, but it _would_ be in a few minutes if Asuka kept arguing. Seeing Asuka in his hotel lobby made him wonder… Just what exactly was _she_ doing here? He decided to see for himself.

"_Look lady. I don't care who you think I am, but I need to talk to him."_

"_Ma'am, for the last time, I'm sorry. Mr. Phoenix told us not to give out that information."_

"_But I told you! I'm a friend of his! It's alright to give it to me!"_

"_But Mr. Phoenix-"_

"- _Mr. Phoenix,_ is standing right here."Edo interrupted, looking at the two women. "What's going on here?"

"Sir, this_ fangirl_ is asking for your room number and you said not to give it out."

Edo chuckled. "Oh, trust me, Hannah. Asuka is definitely _not_ a fangirl."

The front desk lady turned red in embarrassment. "…I'm sorry."

"It's fine. At least I know you're doing your job." Edo said, smiling. He took out a bill from his pocket. "Here's for your troubles." He told the lady. Edo looked at Asuka.

"So, you came."

Asuka nodded, a little sheepish. "Yes. I did."

Edo smiled. "Care to join me at the coffee shop? I know you don't drink coffee, but there's other things they offer there."

Asuka watched as Edo's eyes scanned through the menu. She couldn't help but notice how cute he looked when he was thinking of what to order. _Look at that face… could anything else be so perfect? _Asuka thought to herself. She smiled. _He looks extra cute with that serious expression on his face! _She bit her lower lip. _He's so hot, he's so hot, he's so hot, he's so hot,-_

"Do you like what you're seeing?" Edo asked suddenly, not even averting his gaze from the menu.

For a second, Asuka had sworn that her heart stopped beating. _How… how did he know what I was thinking? Was I really that obvious? Or did I just say those things out loud? …Oh my god, he noticed. He noticed! Shit! I'm doomed!_

"E… Excuse me?" Asuka said nervously.

Edo shifted his gaze from the menu to Asuka. Her evident nervous state confused him. What was there to be nervous about his question? "Um, the menu… did you want to order anything?"

"… Oh, right... the menu." Asuka said, trying to laugh off her nervousness. _Damn! That was close…_

She looked at the menu in front of her. "Um… I'm fine, thank you."

"You sure?" Edo asked.

"Yes I'm sure."

"Okay… if you say so." Edo said, calling for a waiter to take his order. One of the waiters, who saw Edo's raised hand, walked toward their table.

"Yes sir?" he said.

"We're ready to order now." Edo replied with a smile.

"Of course." The waiter said, taking out a small notebook and pen from his pocket. Edo looked back at the menu.

"I'll have the Ratatouille, please." He said, pointing at a picture of his order. The waiter looked closer at the menu.

"Alright, 1 Ratatouille," He announced, jotting it down as he said this. "Anything else, sir?"

Edo looked at Asuka, who shook her head to indicate that she really didn't want anything. "Water." Edo said finally. "And give the lady the cheesecake."

"Cheesecake?" Asuka repeated. "But I don't want anything."

"It's good. You should try it." Edo retorted. "I'll eat it if you don't like it."

"Alright, one Ratatouille, one Cheesecake, and Water for drinks." The waiter recapped.

"Yup, that's fine." Edo said. "Thank you."

"Yes sir." The waiter said, walking away.

Asuka watched the waiter as he left, to avoid eye contact with the man in front of her. She was too shy. She didn't know what to say. What if she suddenly blurted out how she felt? What if he could see right through her? How would she react if he knew? Or worse… how would_ he_ react if he knew?

"What's up?" Edo asked her. She looked at him. His eyes were staring straight back at hers. _Oh shit! He's looking! Do I look okay? Is my hair alright? Wait… why am I even thinking about useless things like this? What's wrong with me? I wasn't even like this 48 hours ago… Heck, I didn't even fancy him 48 hours ago!_

"There's something wrong with me." Asuka concluded. She silently gasped. _What the hell? Why did I say that? Stupid Asuka! You're an idiot!_

Edo's eyes expressed great concern. "What's wrong, Asuka? Are you having nightmares?"

"Oh, no. It's not about what happened to me in the alley," she said, then paused. "I'm just... not myself lately."

Edo still had a puzzled look on his face. "… Does it have something to do with me?"

Asuka's heart skipped a beat. "W-why would you think it had something to do with you?"

Edo shrugged. "I dunno… It's just that you wanted to see me, so I figured it had something to do with me." he said coolly.

Asuka sighed. The jig is up. "I'm confused, Edo!" she exclaimed finally.

"Confused?" Edo asked. "What do you mean? What's there to be confused about?"

"I don't know what I want anymore... I'm not sure what I want." Asuka said. She paused for a moment, thinking of what she had just said. An incorrect word was placed there. "…I'm not sure _who_ I want."

A smile slowly crept across Edo's face. "_Who _you _want?_" he said slyly. "And just _what _ are you getting to, Asuka?"

_He's teasing me_, Asuka thought. _What do I do?_ "Um… well, for the past 48 hours, things have been crazy."

"No doubt about that."

"Yeah… and… What I'm trying to say is…" Asuka's heart was pounding loudly. "Hm, let me put it this way. I thought you were a complete jackass. Turns out you were the exact opposite."

"Uh… thanks?" Edo said, although unsure whether Asuka's comment was a compliment or an insult.

"Wait… that didn't come out right, did it?" she said.

"That's beside the point," Edo said, sounding more impatient now, "Asuka, what does this have to do with your being confused?"

_Just say it, _Asuka thought. She took a deep breath. "It's about Kaiser," she said, "And about who I love."

Silence.

_Clatter clatter._ The sound of cutleries striking the glass plates were both brought to Edo and Asuka's attention. No one spoke. _Clatter clatter. Clack clack._

"So… who _do_ you love?" Edo asked finally. Asuka's cheeks went even redder. She purposely looked the other way, trying to conceal her rosy flush._Clatter clatter. Clack clack._

"Why so curious?" she asked. _Clatter clatter. Clack clack._

"You _made_ me curious." Edo said. _Clatter clatter. Clack clack. _"You obviously love Kaiser. But just now, it seemed like you treated him and the one you love as two different people. Seems to me like you're wanting to get _something_ across."

Clatter clatter clack clack. Clatter clatter clack clack. Clatter clatter.

_CLACK CLACK._

"Asuka?"

"Hm?" she instantly snapped out of her clatter-clacking trance. Edo sighed.

"You're being too obvious."

"What?" Asuka said, close to shouting. "Obvious? What ever are you talking about?"

"Don't pretend, Asuka. I figured it out when you mentioned that you weren't sure 'who you wanted'."

Silence. _Clatter clatter. Clack clack. Clatter clatter_-

"Alright, alright, I'll tell you straight out." Asuka said. She took a deep breath. "I think... I'm getting a little more… comfortable around you."

"That's a nice way of putting it." Edo said.

"If you knew it already… why didn't you just tell me?" Asuka asked.

Edo thought for a moment.

"You're cute when you're all torn apart." He said simply.

Asuka was too nervous to smile. "So… how do you feel about it?"

"Hm…" He muttered. "Well, I can say that I'm flattered. It's pretty weird, considering that I'm supposedly used to adoration by now. Heh… fangirls."

Asuka felt funny. _I'm confessing my feelings to this guy and all he could think about are his fangirls?_

"I know why I'm flattered, though." He added.

"Oh?" Asuka said. "Why?"

"Because…" he began. There was a slight pause. Asuka awaited Edo's reply anxiously.

Finally, the he smiled. "I feel comfortable around you, too_."_

She was shocked. She didn't expect him to say that. She didn't even expect him to entertain her feelings.

But now she knows.

Something is up.

Something _could_ happen.

Her eyes softened. Her muscles relaxed.

A smile crept across her face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Everything between them was silent. Edo ate his food quietly while Asuka watched.

"You're not touching your cheesecake." Edo remarked.

Asuka looked at the dessert in front of her. She tried to laugh it off. "Sorry, It's just that I'm still recovering from shock, you know?"

"What's there to be shocked about?" he asked, "Don't you think I'd think about you when you kissed me?"

Asuka remembered what she had done yesterday; after Edo walked her over to the New Otani Hotel, she had kissed him on the cheek as a symbol of gratitude.

"Oh…" Asuka muttered, feeling her cheeks turn red. "I… I thought the kiss wasn't a big deal to you."

"Well I'm sorry to disappoint you," Edo said, "But after that, I couldn't get you off my mind."

"Serves you right!" Asuka exclaimed, "Because after your little heroic act, I couldn't get _you_ off my mind!"

Edo smiled. "Lucky you."

Asuka giggled. "Hm… I had a dream of you last night, actually. Want to hear it?"

"Sure."

She sighed. "Basically, I was walking around Domino at night, but there was no one there. No person in sight. As I continued walking, I noticed that I was being followed. I ran away, trying to lose whoever was following me… but he ended up cornering me in the alley-"

"-that same alley?" Edo said.

"The alley where you saved me." Asuka said. "The stranger pinned me to the wall and-"

"-Don't tell me this is another rape attempt," Edo interrupted, "You told me you were fine. Maybe you need therapy."

"I am fine! The stranger claimed that he was only getting back what he owned once before… He turned out to be Kaiser."

"Okay… so when do I come in?" Edo asked, taking his glass of water and drinking from it.

"You come in just in time to save me... again. Oh, and we kissed."

Edo put down his glass of water, coughing uncontrollably.

"Edo?"

"Sorry- (cough!) (cough!)- wrong pipe- (cough!) (cough!)- - -" He cleared his throat twice to make his coughing subside. He placed his knife and fork alongside each other on his plate. One of the waiters approached their table and took the plate. Edo asked for the bill. The waiter nodded and went away.

"It wasn't really a kiss." Asuka said.

Edo arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean it wasn't really a kiss?"

"I woke up before our lips met."

"I see," Edo began, "You do know you're making me feel uneasy, right?"

Asuka fell silent. She figured it was best if she stopped there. Edo took out a small packet of cinnamon-flavored Listerine from his pocket. He took one strip and placed it on his mouth.

Asuka smiled. "You like cinnamon?"

"Yeah… why?"

"Nothing. It's just that…" Asuka remembered what she saw on Discovery Channel. "The mythological phoenix uses cinnamon twigs to build its nest. It's just a coincidence."

Edo smirked. "Well… who knows? Maybe I'm a reincarnation of a phoenix. Maybe I can live again."

Asuka laughed. The more she talked to him, the more she fancied him. "I really enjoy your company, Edo."

"Thanks," He said. "Maybe you can enjoy more of my company at dinner tomorrow night?"

Asuka felt the whole world stopped for that brief moment. "That was smooth."

"Hey, I try." Edo said coolly. "But if you're busy-"

"-I'll come at seven." Asuka interrupted.

"Oh, okay then," Edo said. "What's your favorite place?"

"Um…" Asuka hadn't really expected him to ask her out at that moment. It was all happening so fast. The waiter approached the table, handing the bill to Edo, who signed it. "Or maybe you prefer having dinner at the suite?" he suggested, finishing off his signature and handing the bill back to the waiter.

"You mean... room service?" Asuka said, a little put off.

"No," Edo replied, "There's a kitchen in the suite. I'll cook for you."

Asuka's eyes widened. "You can cook?"

Edo shrugged it off. "I try."

The girl shook her head. "You're a professional duelist. You're a pro-athlete- You sky dive, sky surf, surf, and skii. And now you're telling me you can cook, too? Is there anything else I hadn't mentioned?"

"I see you've done your research," Edo said. "Well, I guess you forgot to say that I have a Ph. D. in Law and Psychology."

"You are perfect, Edo Phoenix." Asuka concluded.

Edo chuckled. "Are you sure you're not one of my fangirls?"

Asuka blushed. She never thought that she would act like an obnoxious squealing pre-teen, especially in front of Edo. "It's hard to say," She said.

"So tomorrow night at seven?" Edo recapped, standing up.

"Yes," Asuka confirmed, standing up as well. They exited the Coffee shop and proceeded to the lobby.

Asuka glanced at her watch. "Edo, I have to go. It's getting pretty late."

"Oh, alright then," Edo said, "You sure you don't need me to walk you to New Otani?"

Asuka grinned. "I'll be fine, Edo."

Edo smiled back. "All right tough girl," he said, pulling her closer, "Come here."

He neared himself to her. Asuka's heart was beating fast. She wondered if Edo felt it. She worried if Edo sensed her nervousness.

And then he met his lips with hers.

So _this _is what it feels like to kiss the famous Edo Phoenix; his taste was an addictive sugary cinnamon, his lips soft and smooth.

Then he pulled away.

They felt their hearts pounding.

Asuka bit her lower lip. She couldn't bring herself to look straight at Edo. She could feel him staring at her, trying to read her mind.

"The kiss…" Asuka said. Edo waited eagerly on what she would say next.

"The kiss was too short."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Tonight was the night. Asuka glanced at her watch. It was 6:40pm. She felt butterflies down her stomach. She walked as gracefully as she could into the Grand Hyatt. Her midnight satin blue cocktail dress flowed down her knees nicely, and the black bow around her waist was comfortably fit. But the black heels she wore... was ridiculous.

"Damn it, I'm too early." Asuka muttered to herself. She walked past the front desk and proceeded to the elevator. She pressed the button, and it lit up. She looked up at the floor numbers as it descended. 29. 28.

What did he say his room number was?

27. 26.

Asuka thought for a moment. She remembered what Edo had told her yesterday, after she had said that their kiss was too short…

"_Too short?" Edo said, smiling. "Maybe you'll get more of it at room 3801 tomorrow."_

_I'd definitely like that, _Asuka thought with a smile, recalling the short but sweet kiss. _Mmm… cinnamon never tasted so good._

10. 9. 8.

Alright! The elevator was almost there.

4. 3. 2.

_Ding._

The elevator door opened. Asuka stepped into the elevator.

* * *

On another side of Domino, another story was taking place. There had been a duel. An underground duel. A duel that threatened the competitors with an electrical surge of pain when the competitor was attacked.

A duelist's lifepoints had dropped down from perfect 4000 to 0. A powerful jolt of electricity shocked the duelist. He screamed in agony. He clutched the electrode that clung on his right arm. He fell down on his knees. His opponent smiled devilishly.

The crowd cheered for the winner, who stood there, arrogant and proud. The cage that surrounded the dueling rink was lifted. The triumphant duelist walked away. He was only there to duel and win. It was over. He had no more purpose to stay even longer.

The dark duelist walked through the streets of Domino. He heard a familiar voice that had always echoed in his ear after a duel.

"_You were great, Ryo!" _

_Asuka._ Her voice was but a haunting memory. Hell Kaiser clenched his fists tightly, wondering why he always had to hear her voice. Why did she have to congratulate him every time he won a duel? The situation was hard enough as it was. The real Asuka would never have congratulated him after a duel like that. But the Asuka in his mind always did.

He always heard her, pictured her smiling at him cheerfully. The idea of her was so irritating to him. It was too intrusive, too demanding. But the thought of her did not go away. It never did in the past, and it never will today.

Kaiser proceeded to his hotel, angered at the persistent thoughts of the girl he never forgot. A projection of her appeared beside him.

_How are you today, Kaiser?_

"Go away." he replied, placing his key card in the slot to open his room door. She smiled at him reasurringly. _That's good. You're fine_.

Kaiser walked in his room and slammed the door behind him. He rushed to his bedside and grabbed the cigarette pack resting there.

Asuka frowned. _Not this again. Please stop._

"It's none of your damn business," Kaiser said, and thought that it was silly to have a conversation with a girl that was not really there. He sat on his bed and heaved a distressed sigh. Asuka hopped into bed and positioned herself behind him.

_Relax, _she said, placing her hands on his shoulders. _I'm here for you_.

Kaiser cursed, waving his arm behind him. "Go away, Asuka!"

The cigarette smoke trailed behind the arm he had waved. Asuka's image disappeared.

And he was left alone.

* * *

The door opened.

"Hey! You're here!" Edo greeted. He looked at Asuka with undivided interest. His eyes couldn't help but trace along her curves, which were more noticeable from the way her blue dress flowed. Her legs, smooth, long and graceful-looking, were so seductive to him that Edo had to clear his throat. "Wow, you look great!"

"Thanks, Edo." Asuka said with a smile. Edo ushered her to enter. She followed.

Asuka heard smooth jazz music playing. She breathed in and sighed pleasantly as the wonderful aroma of Wild Jasmine wafted the air. She looked at the dining set up and saw that there were two lit purple candles in the middle of the table.

"The candles smell nice," Asuka said. But saying that was an understatement. To her, _everything_ in the room was nice; the room was incredibly huge and the dining table was cloaked with the finest cloth she had ever seen. The lights were off, and the only source of light came from the scented candles.

"There's a balcony, if you want to see it. I have a good view of the city outside," Edo said.

Asuka's face lit up. "You have a balcony?" she exclaimed, "Oh my God!" she headed to the glass sliding door to the left and slid it open. She walked outside, feeling the nice cool breeze of Domino. The view was fantastic. The street lights were on, and only a couple of people walked around the square. The face of the Domino city clock was lit up, and the restaurants surrounding the square played pleasant music that Asuka could vaguely hear from up above. It felt like a romantic Paris view.

Edo's arms slid around her waist from behind. She felt his presence, his heat, so intoxicating. He gently planted a kiss on her neck. The spot tingled.

"Is the food ready?" she managed to ask.

"Almost." Edo replied. "I'll take out the appetizer."

_Kiss me... _she pleaded in silence. Edo untangled himself from her and walked inside. Asuka sighed. She turned and followed him to the dining table.

Edo pulled out a chair and gestured to her. "For the beautiful madamemoiselle," he said. Asuka smiled shyly and sat down. _He's sweet._ Asuka thought. _He's the guy that every girl would love to have. _At that moment, she felt that she was the luckiest woman on earth.

"I'll be back," he said, walking toward the kitchen. Asuka waited patiently for him to come again. When he did, he was carrying two plates.

"Here you go. First up: Grilled shrimp." He said as he placed the plates on the table.

"Smells good. Looks good. Probably tastes good." Asuka said.

Edo took a seat as Asuka took the first bite. She was almost surprised at the wonderful blend of flavors between the shrimp and the spices. "Yup, just as I suspected." She said. Edo chuckled.

It was not long before the appetizers were done, and Edo walked in the kitchen once again to get the main dish.

* * *

Tonight was a different night for the dark duelist. He had always ate his dinner without giving a damn if he was alone. But now it was different. Why was she still on his mind? Her haunting image usually subsided after she had congratulated him. But now, it was a whole new story. Now, she was still there, calling his name like nothing had happened between them. But it was true though… _nothing_ happened between them. Technically, they never said it was over. Technically, they weren't over.

Kaiser grumbled, pushing his plate aside. _Asuka_, he thought, _Where are you? Come back to me._

* * *

"It's French style roasted perch with fennel, tomatoes, and wine." Edo said.

"It's really good!" Asuka exclaimed. "Are you sure you cooked this?"

"I was in the kitchen. I mixed up the spices. I turned on the stove. I'm pretty sure I cooked it."

Asuka giggled. Edo laughed with her. "Make sure you have room for dessert." He reminded. "It's going to be really good."

Asuka took a sip from her drink. "This champagne tastes good, too. What is it?"

Edo looked like a proud father. "Dom Perignon. Vintage 1995. This is a special one. There's only 20 of them in Japan, and 100 worldwide."

"Wow… This must be expensive."

"Tell me about it. It's a million and twenty-six thousand yen."

Asuka almost choked as he said this. "What?"

Edo laughed again. "Crazy, huh? I got it from Kaiba Corp after winning the Pro International Leagues."

Asuka exhaled. "You had me going there, Edo. I thought you bought it."

Edo scowled. "Are you kidding me? This stuff is way too expensive, even for me!"

Asuka put her knife and fork together. "Alright! I'm ready for that dessert you're talking about."

Edo stood up. "Okay. Chocolate shelled strawberries with raspberry sauce coming right up!" He took the dishes from the table and proceeded to the kitchen. After a few seconds, he came back with the dessert.

"That looks sinful." Asuka said as Edo placed the dessert on the table.

"I'll take that as a compliment." He said. They then both indulged. Asuka moaned at the taste of the dessert. "Oh Edo, this is amazing!"

Edo grinned. "I'm glad you like it!"

The taste was absolutely decadent.

"So," Edo said as he ate, "If you don't mind me asking... What's the deal with you and Kaiser?"

Asuka gave him a puzzled look. "Why are you so curious about me and Kaiser?"

"Well, I just didn't want to get in the way of anything."

Asuka frowned. "I don't think you'll have to worry about that, Edo."

There was a slight pause. Edo stared at her, looking quite concerned. "Do you still love him?"

Asuka was caught off guard by the question. "Why would you ask me that?"

Edo shifted his seat uncomfortably. "Well, just now, the natural sparkle in your eyes just died down."

Asuka sighed. The Kaiser in her memories was different from the Kaiser right now. She imagined his caring smile, the one that always got her all cheered up every time she felt down… Those caring words that always came out of his mouth every time she cried. _It's alright, Asuka. We'll find your brother, _when she thought she had lost Fubuki; _Don't worry, Asuka. I'm here. Everything's fine,_ when she cried the night before his graduation;_ I'll never leave you,_ before he set out for the Pro Leagues; _I love you, Asuka. With all my heart and soul... _every moment he could.

"I'm sorry."

Edo's apology snapped her out of her trance. "What?"

"I'm sorry I brought it up. You don't need to say anything if you don't want to."

"No, no. It's fine, Edo," Asuka said, "I'm just... disappointed with him. He was sweet, caring, strong… Now he's just a big jerk."

There was another pause between them.

"Asuka, I think we should stop."

Asuka's face was crestfallen. Edo stood up from his seat and cleared the plates. "What do you mean?" Asuka asked.

"I mean, we shouldn't be seeing each other right now," Edo replied, with a hint of sadness in his tone. Asuka looked cross. She grabbed his arm forcefully.

"Edo, put down those plates and kiss me." she demanded.

He almost looked hurt. Edo turned away. "I'm sorry, Asuka. But we shouldn't." he pulled away from her grasp and left the room.

Frustrated, Asuka took the champagne and drank it whole.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Edo rinsed the dishes sadly as Asuka waited for him outside. His heart was broken now that he knew that this night was a big mistake. _She is broken_, Edo thought to himself as he placed the rinsed dishes in the dishwashing machine. And now he was at a loss on how he could handle his newfound feelings.

"Damn it Edo, you should've asked before leaping," he muttered to himself, frustrated. He placed another plate in the washer. _Asuka is still out there. What should I do?_

He was walking through a minefield, and he had to think of a way to get through it without hurting himself. Or her. Telling her outright to leave would be the wrong thing. Not telling her anything at all would shame him for life. The girl was in no condition to handle strong emotions right now, like infatuation, an emotion sometimes more destructive than love. Edo purposefully took his time washing the dishes, trying to think up a game plan. He had to be ready for anything once he got out there.

_This night was a mistake_, Edo thought again, partly to convince himself. Then he thought of her laugh, her smile, her ever dazzling brown eyes, and figured that this night was actually special after all.

He glanced at the kitchen clock. He's been in here for a good half hour.

_Oh dear,_ Edo thought. How rude of him, leaving a guest unentertained for that long! Edo placed the last of the utensils on the dishwasher and washed his hands quickly. Then, after applying some soap, he rinsed himself, shut off the water, and dried off.

* * *

The kitchen door opened slowly.

"Asuka?" Edo peeped outside. His eyes widened.

"Why won't you kiss me?" Asuka interrogated, pointing a lanky, accusing finger at him. Her words slurred and her face was hot red. "Is it my breath?"

"Good God," Edo uttered, rushing towards Asuka as she struggled to stand up. He supported her as her knees buckled and her attempts at standing up only made her collapse all the more.

"How much Perignon have you had?" Edo asked, exasperated. Had he really been gone that long?

"It's my breath, isn't it?" Asuka said, raising a hand, "You are avoiding my question. That must be it." she grabbed his tie and pulled him closer.

Edo pulled away. "No, Asuka. Please. Sit down."

"Kiss me first," she said with a giddy, lazy smile. Edo supported her to the sofa.

"I finished the bottle, you know," Asuka declared proudly as Edo positioned her to sit.

"In thirty minutes?" Edo exclaimed in disbelief.

"Fifteen!" Asuka corrected.

"Fifteen minutes?" Edo asked.

"Fifteen _seconds_," she said.

Edo's face fell. "Oh, Asuka... I'm terribly sorry about this. This is my fault."

"I like it when you're all worried," She remarked, sliding a hand on his lap.

"Asuka, stop!" Edo exclaimed, grabbing her arm just before she could take it any further. She smiled at him coyly.

"You look really, really, _really _exasperated, Edo," she said seductively, inching to him a little bit closer. "Do I make you nervous?"

His heart was beating fast. He was starting to lose control. Her voice was his siren song.

"Asuka, please... you need to rest. I'll call for a hotel car and ask the chauffer to take you home. All right?"

"To New Otani?" Asuka wondered, "no one's going to take care of me there, silly."

"No," Edo said, "to your _real _home. With your parents. And your brother," he placed her hand back to her side. "You need to get some rest. Okay?"

She charged her lips at his. Edo froze. He tasted the wine in her lips, her breath. But it was just as intoxicating as he remembered- and even better. Her hands slid back to his lap, and he moaned the last of his control away. His body relaxed. His eyes fell shut. He hungered for her. Edo carressed her face gently and pulled her closer. She explored his mouth with her tongue, sliding through his cheeks, his teeth. Her hand glided in between his legs, and then she squeezed gently. He moaned again, desperately through her mouth. Asuka tugged on his lower lip. Her free hand wrapped around his neck. He grew hard, fast. She purred when she felt it.

With an agonizing grunt, Edo pulled away. "I can't- do this to you," he rasped.

"Shut up," Asuka snapped, kissing him again. She unhooked his pants, then unzipped it. Edo gasped for air, grabbed her intruding hand and broke the kiss again.

"Don't," Edo pleaded.

"Yes," Asuka said with a grin, easily breaking from his grip and grabbing him in between his boxers. Asuka charged at him again, this time going for his right ear. She licked it slowly, sensually, as she rubbed him up and down. Edo shut his eyes tight and let out a desperate cry. His cheeks flushed, his breathing uneven, his heart palpitating. Blood seemed to travel down to one area as Asuka continued her titillating massage.

"Oh my God," Edo hissed, gritting his teeth. "Oh my God..." He breathed through his mouth, slowly, in and out. Asuka licked around his ear, then playfully bit his ear lobe. Edo hissed again, then sighed out an aroused moan. He lazily opened his eyes, drunk with lust, and stared at her body, her smooth, enticing skin, her full, soft breasts. He massaged one of them gently. Asuka ceased her licking and whimpered. Edo gazed at her distorted face as she muttered his name.

"Edo," she said, "Oh, Edo."

He closed the gap between them and kissed her- gently, lovingly. Her lips were painfully delicious to him. She cried out softly. Slowly, he fell on top of her, still kissing her over and over.

"I want you," she admitted in between kisses, "Take me, Edo."

Edo got up. Asuka watched as he took off his blazer. She smiled, fascinated. She got up too, helping him take off his shirt. There it was, finally, the gorgeous abdomen she had seen before. Asuka growled, pushing him back and began kissing his body, slowly moving downward. Edo moaned again, sighing lustfully each time. She moved until she reached his partially pulled down pants. She slid them off briskly, then took him out from the slit in his boxers. Precum oozed out of the tip. Asuka grinned. She closed her eyes and licked it off.

Edo shuddered. Asuka licked him again. Then, she rested her head beside it, carressed it, until she stopped moving. Edo stared at her blankly for a few moments.

"Asuka?" he called, but she didn't answer. His heart skipped a beat. Quickly, he got up and held her. She was breathing slowly, in and out. But she was definitely knocked out. Edo couldn't utter a word. His heart was pounding. She was fast asleep now. What was he to do?

With a big, huge sigh, he held her as he got up. After laying her down again, Edo fumbled through his clothes, putting his shirt back on. He fixed his boxers, adjusted himself, and put on his pants. Then, he scooped her up, carried her to the bedroom, and layed her down gently. He carefully pulled through the sheets and placed it on top of her, tucking her in nicely.

He gazed at her peaceful physique, and felt guilty that he almost took advantage of her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, and kissed her goodnight.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Urgh…" she muttered as a terrible headache hit her. She opened her eyes. She saw Edo, asleep. She was leaning on his chest. His arms were around her waist. Her eyes widened. _Shit._

"Edo… Edo wake up…" Asuka whispered, shaking his shoulder. He groaned. He opened his eyes.

"Hey." He greeted, smiling.

"Edo, did we have sex?" Asuka said bluntly.

Edo looked at her, puzzled. Then he smirked. "Do you really think we did?"

Asuka observed him. He still had clothing on, and so did she. But still, everything was a blur. "I don't remember anything. Please, just tell me."

Edo sighed. "No, we didn't."

Relief struck her. "I'm happy we didn't."

"Don't worry, Asuka. I'm not that kind of person." Edo reassurred.

She smiled at him gratefully, but the her headache was killing her. "Oh my gosh," Asuka moaned, "I must've acted like a complete idiot. I don't remember anything!"

"All I did was tuck you in bed," Edo shrugged.

Asuka tilted her head and thought of his statement for a brief moment. "I felt something last night. Did you kiss me?"

Edo's eyes widened. "Kiss you? - Well, if I did, is it a crime?"

Asuka giggled and shook her head. "It was nice, Edo. That's the only thing I remember."

Edo chuckled. Asuka fancied the sight of him. She felt so at ease, like everything will be okay whenever he was around. That light laugh, that cute smile, it was a breath of fresh air to her. She leaned in closer to him, slowly. Edo ceased his laughing when he realized she was getting closer to him.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice more calm now. Asuka planted a soft kiss on his lips. Edo kissed her back. The girl's tongue explored his mouth. She held his face. Their kiss started out soft, but it progressed to a rougher, more passionate one. Asuka finally pulled away.

"That was for not taking advantage of me," Asuka said.

Edo smirked. "Thanks." He said, glancing at his bedside clock. His heart skipped a beat. "Oh my God!" he exclaimed, immediately getting up.

Asuka furrowed her eyebrows. "What's wrong, Edo?"

"I have to go! I've got a duel at the Kaiba Dome… And it starts in 20 minutes!" he exclaimed, pulling his bedside's first drawer and grabbing his deck. Asuka's head followed as Edo ran around the room.

"Can't you just... cancel it?"

"Forfeit a Pro League duel? No way!" Edo exclaimed, "Oh man... it's a Pro League duel!" he grumbled, "Shit!"

Asuka was confused yet again. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"If you let your opponent win by default in the Pro Leagues, your rank is decreased by five points." Edo explained as he opened his suitcase to pack his duel disk and deck.

Asuka's eyes widened. She remembered that Edo was the reigning champion of the Leagues, ever since the late DD. If Edo lets this duel pass, he'll surely have to surrender his title. "Pretty strict…"

"Tell me about it!" Edo exclaimed. "So far, I've got a clean record. I'm not going to start dirtying it up now. Not ever!"

He was all set. He ran to the door. Then, he stopped. He turned to face Asuka. "Are you gonna be alright?"

"I'm going," she declared, approaching him. Edo smiled and nodded.

* * *

Edo and Asuka ran to the elevator as it was about to close.

"Please hold the door!" Asuka called out to the boy inside. The boy saw them and pressed a button on the elevator. It halted from closing and started to open again. Edo and Asuka walked inside.

"Thank you," Edo said politely. The boy's eyes widened.

"Edo Phoenix!" he exclaimed, "You're Edo Phoenix! I'm you're biggest fan!"

Asuka looked at the boy. Edo chuckled. "Is that so?"

"Yes!" the boy confirmed, "I've never missed any one of your duels! I'm going to the Kaiba Dome right now to watch you! -I thought I was going to be late, but-" he laughed cheerfully- "_you're_ not even there yet!"

"Well, actually I'm supposed to be," Edo said nervously, "I'm going to need to hurry if I don't want to be disqualified."

"_Disqualified?_" the boy exclaimed, "No way are you getting disqualified!"

Edo and Asuka glanced at each other. Again, he posed a smile. "I'm afraid that is beyond my control."

The boy beamed. "Mr. Phoenix, please, may I have your autograph?"

"Sure," Edo said, "Do you have a pen and paper?"

The boy nodded vigorously. He unzipped his backpack and took out an ad. Asuka stared at the ad in shock. The paper was promoting that fateful duel between Edo and Kaiser.

"I kept this forever, Mr. Phoenix," the boy said gleefully, "It was the most anticipated duel... because it was the unveiling of your new deck, the Hero deck!"

Edo glanced at Asuka, who clearly looked glum. He looked at the boy with a pleasant smile. "Alright, what's your name?"

"Tasuko Ito," the boy replied, handing Edo a pen.

"Ta-su-ko..." Edo muttered, scribbling on the ad. The elevator door opened. Edo finished off by signing his name. "Here you go, Ito," Edo said, handing him the ad and pen. Ito beamed as he saw the autographed ad.

"This is amazing!" he exclaimed. "Thank you so much, Mr. Phoenix!" he ran out the elevator. "I'll be rooting for you in the tournament!"

Edo waved at the boy as he disappeared to the hotel cafe. Edo and Asuka walked out the elevator.

"Asuka..." Edo began.

Asuka looked at him and forced a smile. "I'll be fine, Edo."

Edo frowned. "It doesn't look like you are."

She sighed, then pushed him toward the door. "You have to go. You don't want to be late for that duel."

The staff opened the hotel door for them. A white limo was waiting on the side. As Asuka and Edo stepped out, the limo slowly drove in front of them. The windows went down. The driver leaned toward the passenger's seat.

"Your ride is ready, Mr. Phoenix," he said.

Edo faced Asuka. "I don't want to leave you like this," he admitted, his face looking worried.

Asuka huffed. "Just go, Edo," she coaxed, "I'll watch your duel on TV when I get back to my hotel."

Finally, Edo sighed. "Alright. I guess this is where we'll part ways."

Asuka nodded. She leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Good luck, Edo."

Edo smiled. "Take care of yourself, Asuka." he turned and stepped into the limo, then closed the door. Asuka watched as the limo drove away.

* * *

Asuka stared at the floor as she walked. Ito's ad had been in her mind the whole time. _Kaiser... _she thought, then reminisced that duel he had with Edo. She felt that overwhelming sadness again. The media says he is doing well at the Pro Leagues, but is he doing well himself? The mystery of it made her all the more uneasy.

Her eyes looked forward and she immediately noticed the upcoming alley on her right. It was the infamous alley where Edo had saved her. _Edo_. A mental image of him appeared in her mind. She smiled a bit and couldn't help but giggle. Now, just the mere thought of him consoled her. She walked thinking of him entirely after that.

Asuka finally arrived at New Otani. She proceeded inside. She wondered who Edo's opponent would be. She wondered if he had reached the Kaiba Dome in time. Passing by the front desk, she heard an all-too familiar voice.

It took her a split second to realize who it was. Asuka halted, her heart seemingly doing the same. Slowly, her head turned to look at him, the man speaking to New Otani's front desk clerk. It can't be.

The man turned and saw her. He froze too, then smiled.

"_Well, look what the cat dragged in."_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

She tried to take a breath, but couldn't. She tried to blink, but couldn't. Her face was burning. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. His name was on her mind, but she didn't want to say it. Was this all just a dream? No, that's highly unlikely. But this man only existed in her dreams nowadays. Yet here he was, in the flesh, standing no more than ten feet away from her, after all these years. His name escaped her lips: "Ryo."

"Asuka."

"What are you doing here?" she asked, a bit shaken by the fact that Hell Kaiser- _the_ Hell Kaiser- was right in front of her. She didn't know if she was happy or sad or even disappointed to see him again.

"Just checked in." he said, "Why are _you_ here?"

"I checked in here a few days ago," She said.

Hell Kaiser smirked. "What a coincidence this is, then."

_You have no idea,_ Asuka thought. She was still confused. Was she angry with him? Overwhelmed to see him? Happy to see him? "So, how are you?"

The question seemed to irritate him. "None of your business," he grumbled.

This answer was no surprise coming from a man who changed for the worse, but Asuka was nevertheless hurt by it. "I'm doing fine," She said, just to let him know she was.

Hell Kaiser took his black suitcase and left. Again, another dart struck Asuka's heart. Should she slap him in front of everyone? He sure deserved it. She breathed, as if she hadn't had a chance to do so in a long time. She approached the elevator, which was where he was, annoyingly.

There was silence between them. A silence that meant a lot of things; Uneasiness. Disappointment. Anger.

"You could at least pretend to be nice to me." Asuka said bitterly.

Hell Kaiser said nothing.

Finally, the elevator came and opened its doors for the ex-couple. The two of them stepped inside.

Asuka pressed 25. Hell Kaiser pressed nothing. The elevator door closed.

Not a word escaped their lips until floor 10.

"Aren't you going to press your floor?" Asuka said irritably.

"It's already been pressed." He said.

Her heart skipped a beat. Not only did Hell Kaiser check-in on the same hotel, but he also got the same floor! Fate was playing around with her... And she didn't like it one bit.

_Ding._ 25. The elevator door opened. The two stepped out and walked. They both turned right.

Asuka arched an eyebrow. They were going on the same direction, too? She refused to say anything else. She just continued to walk. 2510. That was her destination. They both continued walking in awkward silence.

When the two finally saw their room numbers engraved on a plate hanging on their door, they stopped- almost at the same time- to steal a glance at each other. Upon meeting each other eye to eye, they immediately looked away. They both seemed irritated… and a bit red.

"Your room is right in front of mine?" Kaiser said, refusing to look at her.

"You got a problem with that?" Asuka mumbled, not glancing at him.

They both took out their keys and placed it in the key hole. They opened their doors, went in, and slammed the door shut.

Asuka leaned on her door, sighing frustratingly. _Hell Kaiser... is right in front of my room._

Kaiser stood behind his door, rubbing his temples. _Relax, Ryo. She won't bother you._

They both stood next to their doors for a few moments, still overwhelmed by the fact that the other party was just a few steps away.

* * *

Night time. Hell Kaiser lay on his bed, thinking of her. They used to be the sweetest couple in the academy. What happened?

He grumbled. She wasn't supposed to be on his mind anymore. He already moved on. Asuka was but a small piece of what he once was: a foolish duelist who respected his opponents. What a joke. Respect. It was all about victory. Asuka is just a pest. An irritating fly of a distraction. He should be focusing on his next underground duel that was right around the corner. But he could not help but ponder over this girl who was literally just next door. This irritated him. Ever since he lay his eyes on her after all these years, her power of haunting him has gotten even stronger.

He needed a cure. But what? What medicine would cure such an ailment?

* * *

_"I set two cards face down, and I end my turn."_

The camera shifted from Edo to his opponent. "My turn, draw!"

Asuka watched admiringly as Edo blocked Dark Simorgh's attack with his trap card, D-Shield. His D-Hero Doomlord immediately changed to defense position and was unable to be destroyed by the attack, since now it cannot be destroyed by battle.

"Good move, Edo," she said with a smile.

_Ring-Ring! Ring-Ring! _The phone rang.

Asuka stared at the phone, puzzled. Who could be calling her right now? She put Edo's duel on mute and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

No one answered her. She decided to try again.

"Hello?"

Again, there was silence. Asuka was about to put down the phone, when she heard her name.

"…Asuka?"

A slight pause, from her this time. She clenched her fists tightly. "What do you want?"

On the other line, Hell Kaiser grumbled to himself, wondering why in the world he was doing this. "Asuka. I think… I think we need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about."

Kaiser sighed. "To me, there is," he began, "I need… to talk… to… you." He found it hard to say it out loud. But he finally did.

There was anothing pause on the other line. "Why?"

"I just do, okay?" Kaiser spat out.

Asuka's blood rose at the remark. "Well, I definitely, absolutely, do _not_ want to talk to you."

She hung up the phone.

Asuka tried to breathe normally. That conversation really riled her up. She unmuted the TV.

_"I sacrifice D-Hero Doomlord, Captain Tenacious, and Diamond Dude, to Special Summon D-Hero Dogma from my hand!"_ Edo declared.

The sound of his voice calmed her. _Edo_, she thought. She smiled at the TV. _You've got him this time!_

There was a knock on the door. Asuka rolled her eyes. "Go away, Kaiser!"

She tried to concentrate on Edo's duel, on Edo himself, and the wonderful date they had last night.

There was another knock on the door. Asuka turned the TV volume up.

_"D-Hero Dogma, direct attack!" _Edo's ace monster charged at the opponent, decreasing his lifepoints down to 0.

The knock on the door was persistent. Asuka sighed frustratingly. Finally, she shut off the TV and walked over to the door.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"What do you want?" was Asuka's greeting when she opened the door.

Hell Kaiser stood outside her door, looking quite serious. "I told you that we need to talk," he said.

She placed her right hand on her hip. "Well you better respect me if you want to talk with me."

He glared at her, but she only glared back. Finally, he sighed. "Can I come in?"

Asuka looked at him carefully. He still tried to put up that strong, unbreakable wall, but his eyes betrayed him. There was something there, and only people like her, people who knew him well, could see it. She sighed, too, and finally stepped back and opened the door further. Kaiser walked inside.

* * *

Asuka let Kaiser sit on a chair as she sat on the edge of her bed. They faced each other. There were no words that had escaped them yet. It was as if they waited for the other to speak first.

Asuka cleared her throat. "Well?" she said. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

"I'm… gathering my thoughts." Kaiser said.

"…Right."

Another moment of silence. About a minute has passed.

"How long do you want to keep this up?" she asked.

"… Asuka…"

"What?"

"…I'm…I'm…" Kaiser cursed himself silently. He wanted to just say it, to get it over with, but it seemed that his mouth couldn't form the words. "I'm…"

Asuka had to wait for another ten seconds until Kaiser finally blurt it out. "I'm sorry."

Asuka just stared at him. "That's it? That's what you were dying to tell me?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"I…"

"What?"

"I…"

"Just say it, Ryo!"

"I can't stop thinking about you!" Kaiser shouted. Asuka was stunned. She couldn't believe her ears. Kaiser looked away. "There." He mumbled. "You happy now?"

"Ryo…" she muttered. "I… I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything." He said. "But yes. I needed to tell you what I felt. If I still kept it to myself I would've gone crazy."

Asuka's face fell. This made things all the more complicated. "No…"

"Every time I win a duel, your voice always congratulates me…"

"No…"

"You always appear in my mind, especially when I'm sleeping…"

"This isn't possible…"

"You're everywhere! And when I finally saw you again-"

"-Please, Ryo. Please don't say it."

"I realized-"

"-No."

"-that I still need you in my life."

_God damn it. He said it. He really said it._ Asuka thought.

"I need you, Asuka!" Kaiser exclaimed. He faced her again. "Without you, I feel lost. I feel that I'm incomplete somehow."

Asuka was still frozen. She didn't know how to react.

Kaiser reached for her hand. And she did not jerk away. He placed his hand on hers. "Maybe that's why I easily gave in to the dark." He tried to smile. Asuka was reminded of the Kaiser who once loved her. Her eyes softened. She felt that he had returned… even for only a while. At least she knew he still existed.

"Asuka… you're my light. You're the lighthouse that shows me the way when my ship is lost. I need you. I need your smile. Your laugh. Your touch."

"Ryo…"

"Please, Asuka. Please. I need you… I'm lost in the dark. I need you to find me."

"But Ryo… You broke my heart," She said. "How can you expect me to love you again just like that?"

"Then I'm sorry. I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry for everything. Will you forgive me?"

An image of Edo appeared in her mind. He was cheerful-looking, ever smiling. And the thought of him while Kaiser sat in front of her made her feel guilt. "Ryo, we can't." Asuka said finally. She took her hand away from his. She looked away, trying to avoid his eyes.

"Why not?"

"Because…" She stopped. Should she tell him the truth? She thought of the alley. The rapists. The screaming and shouting. The terror. The desperate cries for help. And then there was Edo, beating up the rapists and saving her.

_It's alright, Asuka. You don't need to be afraid anymore. _Those kind words echoed in her ear. Those words soothed her. Those words belonged to the man who had saved her. The man who cared for her when she needed it the most.

"I can't do this again," Asuka said.

"I don't understand."

"There's nothing to understand!" she spat out, "We just can't… _I _can't." Asuka sighed.

A cell phone rang. Kaiser took out his phone from his pocket. He excused himself and answered it.

Asuka bit her lower lip. She was torn. Who did she value more? Was it Kaiser, her first love, her highschool sweetheart whom she loved for years, or Edo, her savior, her fresher, lighter-hearted new love?

Kaiser placed his cell phone in his pocket. He turned to Asuka. "I have to go. I have an Underground duel tonight."

Asuka frowned. "You still do that?"

"Yes," Kaiser thought for a moment. "Would you… like to watch?"

"What?" Asuka exclaimed, "You're inviting me to watch you play _that_ duel?"

"I was only asking," Kaiser said, "Well, just in case you do decide to go, the duel is on 22nd street. There's a man guarding the doors to that place. He'll ask you what the password is. It's the last name of any one who is competing tonight." he turned to leave.

Then he stopped. "I'd really appreciate it if you'd come, Asuka." he said it without looking at her. After a brief pause, he opened the door and walked out of the room.

Asuka just sat there, staring at the door. That man who just left the room was the same man she once knew, and not Hell Kaiser.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

She didn't know what to do. Kaiser seemed so genuine, like before. She longed for the old Kaiser to return, and now that he did, she should be happy. Even better, he wanted her back. But things were different now. Edo changed everything for her. Because of him, because of his sweet words and gentle touch, because of his caring attitude, she was confused with her feelings. She didn't know what she wanted anymore.

What is she going to do now? Asuka took out her cell phone and dialed Edo's number. _Ring ring. Ring ring._

Every time it made that noise, Asuka's heart pounded louder and louder. The ringing lasted a few more minutes.

_We're sorry. But the number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please try again later._

"Damn it!" Asuka exclaimed, calling again. _Please, Edo. Please. Answer._

_We're sorry. But the number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please try again later._

Asuka grumbled. She tried to call him again.

_We're sorry. But the number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please try again later._

"Argh!" Asuka exclaimed. She called him again.

_We're sorry…_

And again.

…_but the number you are trying to reach…_

And again.

…_is currently unavailable._

And again.

…

…

…

…

_Please try again later._

At this point, Asuka threw her phone to the bed in frustration. She let herself fall on the bed and sighed. She stared at the ceiling, wondering. There was a part of her that wanted to go and support him, but at the same time she knew that it wasn't right.

_I'd really appreciate it if you'd come, Asuka._

"Ryo…" she muttered. Kaiser Ryo. Was it even right to talk to him when she's trying to forget him? _He is my friend, _Asuka thought. Whatever happened between them, he still is her friend. She should support her friend. She always supports her friends.

Asuka thought for a moment. _Friend._ She was only kidding herself. In fact, even when she was with Edo last night, she talked about Kaiser. Even Edo noticed that. So she should stay away. Or... perhaps she should go to the duel to tell Kaiser her feelings. Or she should just wait for him to come back. Asuka touched her forehead. Did Kaiser even deserve her presence there? "To go, or not to go…" she muttered to herself.

Well, theoretically, it would be alright. It's just a harmless duel and it's just a harmless night. Harmless? Not quite. This duel was an Underground duel. Asuka had heard dark stories about these kinds of duels. They say that people actually get killed in these duels.

Harmless? Not quite.

What if Edo found out about this? Would he get angry? Would he hate her for seeing Kaiser? But this was _her_ life. She could do whatever _she_ wanted to do. Edo didn't control her. So the real question was… What does _she_ want to do?

She thought for a moment. Asuka sat up. She had made a decision.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_This is for you, Ryo. For the sake of what we once had._ Asuka thought that maybe, just maybe, if she showed up in this duel… she would change Kaiser's cruel fate. That's why she came. Maybe.

Doing this for Kaiser was a big risk for her. She was putting everything in danger; Her status, her career… her life. She arrived at the alley at 22nd street, wearing a black cloak. A huge man stood there, standing in front of a doorway. He glared at Asuka, making her flinch a little. The man grunted.

"Password?"

There's_ a man guarding the doors to that place. He'll ask you what the password is. It's the last name of any one who is competing tonight._

"Marufuji." Asuka said.

The man stepped aside and opened the lock. He slid the door open. The sound of a huge crowd was heard from inside. Asuka stepped in. Everyone there wore a mask. Everyone was cheering and shouting. Drinking and laughing. At the heart of the room was something that seemed to be a duel arena. A huge cage had trapped the two duelists inside. One of them was-

"Kaiser..." Asuka said.

The duel had already started. Kaiser had his Cyberdark Dragon out on the field, while his opponent had Necro Demon and Dark Necrofear in play.

"I activate Necro Spell! This allows me to increase Dark Necrofear's attack by the attack of another Dark-attribute monster on the field! And I choose… Cyberdark Dragon!" the opponent exclaimed.

Dark Necrofear increased its attack by 4200. It now had 6400 attack points. The crowd cheered even more.

"Not to mention Necro Demon's effect to decrease your monster's attack by 1000!" Cyberdark Dragon's attack decreased from 4200 to 3200. "Dark Necrofear, attack Cyberdark Dragon!"

The monster did as he was told. Dark Necrofear shot its dark ball at Cyberdark Dragon. Kaiser's lifepoints dropped from 3300 to 100. A surge of electricity suddenly surrounded the dark duelist. Asuka gasped. Kaiser shouted in pain as the electricity shocked him.

"Ryo!" Asuka screamed, but her voice was drowned from all the cheering. She went closer towards the arena. As she did, she saw something she had never wanted to see again. The sadistic look that Hell Kaiser had always shown had returned. No more Kaiser that had confessed to her that he needed her. No more Kaiser that had held her hand and wished she would return in his life. No more.

He laughed menacingly. Asuka felt a cold chill run down her spine.

"Do you really think you can overcome the monster within me?" Hell Kaiser exclaimed. He laughed again. Even his opponent trembled.

"You're standing in your grave, you insolent fool. I activate Future Fusion! This allows me to send to the graveyard all the monsters needed for my Fusion Summon… And I choose Chimeratech Overdragon! I send all my machine monsters on my deck to the graveyard!"

5 of Kaiser's machine monsters appeared before him. They shattered into a million pieces as they were placed in their master's grave. "Then I activate Overload Fusion! I'm removing all of my machine monsters in my graveyard from play! Since I had 8 machine monsters in my graveyard already, I remove a total of 13 monsters!"

Everyone watched as a worm hole appeared on Kaiser's field. It took all his machine monsters, just as he wished. He grinned. Asuka watched him in horror.

"Come out! Chimeratech Overdragon!"

His six-headed machine-dragon appeared on his field, with 10,400 attack points. His opponent took a step back. "N-no way…"

"And don't forget that my Chimeratech can now attack 13 times." Hell Kaiser hissed. "Chimeratech, destroy him!" Hell Kaiser shouted. The machine's beams attacked all at once.

The lifepoints instantly dropped from 4000 to 0. His opponent screamed in terror as charges that were worth 10,400 attack engulfed him. Asuka watched in horror as even the cage exploded. Smoke filled the air from the huge explosion of Chimeratech's attack.

The opponent dropped to the ground. The crowd cheered even louder than usual. Asuka walked closer to the arena until she reached its edge. "Kaiser…" she muttered.

And, as though Kaiser heard her whisper despite all the cheering, he turned. He turned to see the face of the girl who mattered to him, the girl who would offer her his redemption. She looked at him like he was a monster. Her eyes looked at him in wonder, as if to say, '_What happened to you?'_.

Kaiser's hellish look faded. His heart softened. She was actually there, in front of him, in a place that gave birth to the Hell that he is now.

"Asuka," he uttered. He didn't think she'd come. And now she saw him, at his best... as Hell Kaiser. He felt guilty.

Asuka continued to hold their gaze for a few more seconds. She looked away as tears formed around her eyes.

_What am I doing here?_ She thought to herself, _What was I thinking?_

Asuka ran for the door.

She busted out of the door and dashed to New Otani. She wanted to get away from this place of darkness, get away from all the misery and pain. She needed to get away from _him_. From everything.

She continued to run. And, just as she caught sight of her hotel, she heard her name.

She stopped and turned to see who it was.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Edo was worried. The moment he turned on his cell phone, the first thing he saw was 10 missed calls from the same number. Asuka's number. He tried to call her back, but she hasn't been answering. Concerned, he decided to go to New Otani as fast as he can- only to find Asuka herself running towards that same hotel. She wore all black, giving Edo the impression that something serious had happened.

"Asuka!" he called. She turned.

"Edo?"

He ran towards her. "Asuka, are you alright? What's going on? What happened?" Edo asked, holding the girl's hands firmly.

"Edo… I'm… I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, hugging him tight. She buried her head on his chest, and let the tears come out at last.

He stopped himself from asking even more questions, despite the fact that questions in his head have been multiplying. He hugged her back and allowed her to just let it all out. He caressed her hair gently. "It's okay, Asuka. I'm here now."

Saying these words made Asuka feel all the more guilty. She cried even more. "E-Edo…"

"Sssh. It's alright, Asuka. Just let it out." He whispered, holding her even closer.

She sniveled. How could she betray someone so kind? "Oh Edo…"

_Ring ring. Ring ring._

Asuka released him. Edo dug his hand on his pocket and brought out his cell phone.

_Ring ring._

"I'm busy right now," Edo said to his phone. He didn't talk for a few seconds. Then he sighed. "I'm sorry, I can't right now-" his voice trailed off, and he looked like he was being scolded. "No, it's not that… but … no it's..." He sighed, "Alright, alright. Yes, yes I'm going. Bye."

Edo put his phone back in his pocket. Asuka waited for him to say something.

"Asuka… I... have to go."

"_What?_" her eyes widened. "But Edo, I need you! I really need you…"

"I know! I know! I'll be back in a few minutes, okay? Can you wait for a few minutes? Please?" Edo's charm never failed him. The look in his eyes almost made Asuka melt. "I promise I'll be back as soon as I can, alright?"

"But Edo… … Okay." She said finally.

"I'm really sorry about this," He said, kissing her softly.

The girl tried to smile. "I'll be waiting at 2510."

Edo nodded. Asuka watched him as he stepped inside his limo. When he closed the door, the limo drove away.

_Edo… _she thought. He never failed to make her feel so much better. She sighed and walked over to her hotel.

* * *

Asuka lay on her bed. She stared at her ceiling. How long was it since Edo said he was going to come back? A minute? 5 minutes?

More like 45.

_It's been 45 damn minutes, and Edo still hasn't arrived. _Asuka thought. She closed her eyes. She tried to organize her thoughts. If Edo were here, what would she tell him? What was her big problem anyway? Should he tell her the truth? Did she have the guts to?

It would hurt her if he didn't accept her. It would hurt him if he knew. But he had to know. He had the right to know.

"Then it's decided." Asuka said to herself. She has made a decision. The very moment Edo knocks on that door and comes into this room, she is going to tell him everything. Not just the events, but her feelings. Her feelings for him… and her feelings for Kaiser. Practically everything. She was going to clear her name. No matter what the outcome. She was going to do it.

There was the long awaited knock on the door.

Her heart skipped a beat._ He's here._

"Oh my god…" she muttered to herself. It was easier said than done. _Holy shit! What am I going to tell him? Where do I even begin? Where do I start? How will he feel about it?_

There was another knock on the door.

"Coming!" Asuka called. She got up and ran towards the door.

She opened the door with a bright smile on her face, but it immediately faded when she saw who was outside.

"Hey," Hell Kaiser greeted.

There was a brief silence between the two.

"Listen, um… I'm really happy you came… I didn't think you'd come." He began.

"Oh… is that why you were so cruel?" she asked bitterly, "Is that why you acted like Hell Kaiser?"

"No… Asuka, you didn't need to see that."

"Then why did you want me to come?"

"Because…" his voice trailed off. He thought for a moment. "Because I thought that maybe you can help me overcome my fear."

"Fear?" she asked, "What fear?"

"Fear of being alone. Fear of being _me_."

Time suddenly seemed to stop for Asuka. Shock filled her. It was... _fear_? Fear was what kept Hell Kaiser from being the respectable man he should be? At that moment, Asuka couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"Asuka," he began, "I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I just wanted to prove that I was strong. I was tired of losing, tired of everyone calling me names and treating me like trash. I feared that I would be nothing, so I strived to want victory and nothing else. But doing so shoved away those who I really loved… those who I truly trusted."

"Well, you didn't need to get involved in an Underground duel to prove that you were strong," Asuka retorted.

"I didn't have a choice, Asuka!" Kaiser roared, "Everyone ridiculed me. Everyone made fun of me. I started to doubt myself. I started to question my abilities. I had nothing. I lost _everything_! My career, my fame, my fortune, my pride... my dignity… everything. I even lost respect for myself!"

Asuka held his clenched fist. "Enough, Ryo. Please."

Kaiser softened. He laced his hand around Asuka's. "Your presence is soothing, Asuka. The beast in me is suppressed whenever you're around."

This was true. Asuka knew it was. When Kaiser saw her watching his duel, his angered expression had calmed down.

They stared into each other's eyes, as if trying to search for some kind of solitude in them.

To Kaiser, it was comfort.

To Asuka, it was reassurance.

They were suddenly lost in each other's gaze. Then, Kaiser leaned in and met his lips with hers. Asuka still had her eyes open, staring at Kaiser. Should she pull away?

She tried her best to break off the kiss. It was wrong. But Kaiser pulled her closer, more intimately. Her knees felt weak. She felt her ever-present thirst to be with Kaiser finally being quenched. Asuka's eyes slowly closed. She dared to wrap her arms around his neck.

He held her waist and entered her mouth hungrily. And she did the same. Their tongues tasted each other. Their heads shifted. Kaiser shoved her against the wall and kissed her roughly. And Asuka felt a rush flow through her body. Her hands ran through his hair.

And then the image of Edo flashed in her mind. Her heart sank. Asuka immediately pushed Kaiser away. She stared back at Kaiser, horrified. It was then that she realized there was someone watching them on the side. She turned her head to that direction, and her stomach churned.

There, standing before them, was Edo himself, too shocked to utter a single word, too frozen to leave.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Edo stared at them for a few moments. Kaiser and Asuka stared back at him.

He looked away. His adrenalin rose. He felt the need to punch something. His limbs were all pumped up. He looked back at them.

"Kaiser. It's been a while. How are things going?" he asked in the most nonchalant way.

"Phoenix?" Kaiser said, "What are _you_ doing here?"

Edo forced a grin. "Funny you should ask. I'm actually wondering the exact same thing."

Asuka gritted her teeth. "Please leave, Kaiser."

Kaiser looked at her, puzzled. "Alright, then," he said, leaning in for another kiss. Edo clenched his fists. Asuka pushed Kaiser away. "Ryo... please. Go."

Kaiser stared at Asuka again, and then to Edo. He narrowed his eyes, but he turned his heel and walked inside his room. Edo looked at Asuka, who was staring back at him with guilty eyes.

But there were no exchanges of words, only silence. Edo's heart was pounding loudly out of anger, out of the adrenalin. He was still pumped up.

"I came back, just like I promised," Edo began, "I came back as fast as I can to check up on you."

"Edo-"

"-What was that?" Edo bellowed, gesturing at Asuka. "What the hell was _that_?"

Asuka looked stunned. "I..." her voice trembled, "I was confused, Edo."

"_Confused?_" Edo repeated, then laughed sarcastically. "I came here because I was worried about _you_. I got your ten missed calls, saw you running to your hotel in _tears_, and heck, I was so guilty when I had to leave you alone for some meeting, that I rushed everything up, to the extent that my manager scolded me," Edo felt his blood rise. "And _this _ is what I get?" he exclaimed angrilly. He huffed, turned his heel, and walked away.

"No! Edo, please! I can explain!" Asuka said, blocking his way.

Edo glared at her. She took two steps back, intimidated. "I told you last night that you weren't ready," Edo said, "I knew it was a mistake. I wanted you to leave. But what did you do? You got _drunk_! You wanted to be _fucked_!"

Asuka winced at Edo's harsh words.

"I told you to stop, but you _persisted_," Edo said, "You continued to allure me! You wanted a fresh start with me. But you..." he clenched his fists, "...you do _this!_"

"Edo..." Asuka whimpered. Her eyes watered.

"I'm not going to wait for someone who is waiting for someone else," Edo remarked, "And if you expected me to, then I'm sorry to disappoint you."

"I'm sorry," Asuka said finally, tears falling from her eyes.

Edo's anger continued to rise. He walked away.

"Edo!" Asuka called, desperate. She ran and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. He stopped.

"Edo," Asuka's voice was weak and sorrowful, "I'm sorry. Please. Don't go."

For the first time in his life, Edo was willing to hurt a woman. He controlled himself, barely. "Asuka", his voice was cold and shaking from anger, "Get. Your hands. Off me."

"No, please…"

"Get your hands off me before I do it for you."

More tears fell from the girl's eyes. Her heart pounded. "Don't go, Edo. I can explain. I swear."

"I don't care anymore," He said. He turned his head to her. "Asuka. Don't push me. I've had enough of this. I can barely bring myself to respect you anymore."

Those words stabbed right through her heart. She stared at him. She stared at those cold blue eyes. She saw through his very soul. She saw the emotion of pain.

The worst kind of pain.

The pain of the heart.

Those blue eyes stared back at her. Stared back at her dirty, tainted soul. Stared back at her guilt, embarrassment, and fear.

Her heart broke. She made him feel pain that was worse than a battle scar. She hurt him, her savior... her _love._

She realized that now. She loved him. She loved the man that now hated her. She mourned silently.

He had enough of it, he had said. He had enough of _her._

"Asuka," Edo called her name, "_Please_."

He even had the energy to say _please _to a person like her?

Her tears fell on her face like a waterfall. Sadly, she freed him from her grasp.

He walked away, and she watched as he left.

Edo didn't bother looking back. He didn't bother saying goodbye. But there was no need to say anything.

Asuka ran to her room, buried her face on her pillow and cried.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

_What do you want, Asuka? Who do you really want? _She was in deep thought yet again. She had just stopped crying. She lay on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Her eyes were red and puffy. And stingy. And painful. She closed her eyes tightly once in a while, hoping the sting would somehow be alleviated. She thought about Edo. She thought about the twisted, hurt expression on his face. The sadness in his eyes. The disappointment in his voice.

"I'm sorry, Edo…" she muttered.

* * *

"Give me another one," Edo said, placing more money on the table than the usual cost of the drink.

"Are you sure, sir? You look really worn out." The bartender said.

"Spare me your pity and hand over the god damn beer," Edo snapped. The bartender sighed. He took the money, gave back the change and placed a drink on the table. Edo took the bottle and drank it whole. Then he put it down. He groaned. He dropped his head on the table and groaned again.

"_Rough day, huh?"_ a voice of a girl asked him.

"You have no idea." Edo slurred, his head still resting on the table.

The stranger chuckled. "Edo Phoenix, right?"

"Mhm." he mumbled.

The stranger chuckled again. "I've seen you quite a couple of times on TV. You look a lot cuter in person."

"Mhm."

"So, Mr. Pro-duelist, what brings you here?" she asked.

Edo felt his head spinning. "Go away," he mumbled.

The girl stared at him curiously. "Did you lose a major duel?"

Edo chuckled. "Me? Lose a major duel?" he turned his head to the girl's direction without lifting his head off the table. "You're kidding, right?"

She giggled. "Just tossing out ideas."

Edo stared at her from head to toe, then grinned. "How much?"

The girl furrowed her eyebrows. "For what?"

Edo pointed a carefree finger at her. "You're selling yourself, aren't you?"

She let out an indignant gasp and pushed Edo off his chair. "You _pig_!"

Edo laughed on the floor. He turned to his side and struggled to stand. "If you're not, you sure dress like one."

She glared at him. "You're such a dick in real life."

"Alright, alright," Edo said. He walked to his seat and sat down- and missed the chair. He fell to the floor again. This time, the girl laughed.

"Edo!" she said, still laughing, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Never been better." He said with a smile.

"How many drinks have you had?" she asked.

The bartender faced her. "Fifteen- and probably counting," he whispered.

"I've had _seven_," Edo declared proudly, still on the floor, "_Seven_ wonderful drinks from that man over there!" He pointed at the bartender. "I love you, man!"

The girl and the bartender looked at each other. The girl sighed. She stood up and leaned to help Edo up. "Do you know that you're drunk?" she asked.

"I'm not drunk," Edo slurred, his face red. "I'm the champion of the Pro leagues! I can do _anything_! Drunk is not in my vocabulary of champion-ness!"

He was finally able to stand with the girl's help. "Let's get out of here before you buy another beer." She suggested.

"Just one more," Edo said, turning to the bartender. "Hey! Give me another one!"

The girl dragged him away from the bar. Edo struggled weakly, and after a few moments, he frowned. "You're a bummer," he muttered. The two stopped at the park and sat on the first bench they saw. Edo moaned. He touched his stomach.

"I'm... feeling..." he said, then leaned over and threw up. The girl turned away. Edo stopped for a few seconds. Then he leaned over and threw up once more.

"Do you want me to call a cab to take you home?" the girl asked him.

"'Kay," he slurred, taking out his cell phone and throwing it at the girl- but it ended up landing on a nearby trash can.

She tried not to laugh. Not only did she _not_ need a cell phone to call a cab in the first place, but Edo would soon find out that he'll need to buy a new phone.

It didn't take long before the girl had successfully hailed a cab. "Your limo's here, Mr. Phoenix." She jeered.

"Good," Edo muttered, proceeding into the cab. The girl followed him. "Good evening Lancelot," Edo said, "Why did you paint the limo yellow?"

The driver faced them with a puzzled look. The girl grinned. "He thinks he's in his limo," she said.

The driver furrowed his eyebrows. "Okay... so where to?"

"Grand Hyatt." Edo mumbled.

The driver nodded and began to drive. Edo fixed his eyes on the girl. "Hey," he said, "I didn't get your name."

"Stephanie." She answered.

"Hi, Stephanie. I'm Edo Phoenix." He said.

She giggled. "I know."

Edo closed his eyes. He was too tired to think, too tired to care... and too sick to do anything else.

* * *

Asuka stood up. She couldn't take it anymore. She had to go to Edo. She got her room keys, opened the door and left. She heard someone else stepping out of their room.

"_Asuka?"_

Asuka looked behind her. "Ryo..." she said.

Kaiser walked up to her with a worried expression on his face. "I was just about to go to your room... have you been crying?" the dark duelist asked, "What's wrong? What's the matter?"

The girl turned away. "I… I've been such an idiot."

"What are you talking about?" he asked. He held her face. "Tell me what's wrong."

Her body stiffened at his touch. She couldn't deny the fact that it felt... good. "I can't." she said.

"Why not?"

Asuka stared at his eyes, and felt that familiar yearning for him. She hated herself for it. She loved Edo. Why was she always bouncing back to Kaiser?

"Asuka…" Kaiser muttered. He kissed her on the lips. Asuka felt that familiar rush surge through her body. Kaiser pulled away.

"Better?" he asked.

_Much better, _Asuka thought, but she couldn't bring herself to admit it. _What's wrong with your brain, Asuka? Go to Grand Hyatt and apologize to Edo right now!_

"I have to go." She said. Kaiser grabbed her hand and pulled her back. He spun her around and kissed her lips roughly. Asuka pushed his chest, hoping to break off, but as the kiss lingered, her limbs gradually felt weak. She grumbled and struggled, but it was hopeless. Kaiser's tongue entered her mouth. Asuka forced out a moan.

_No! _Asuka exclaimed to herself, _This has to stop, has to-_

Then, Kaiser broke off from her lips and began licking and kissing her neck. Asuka moaned again.

"That's... my... spot," she muttered, feeling dizzy from lust.

"I know," Kaiser whispered sexily, and began kissing her neck again.

"Ryo..." she moaned, grabbing his coat to support herself from falling. "Please... stop!"

Kaiser growled, placing his hand on her left breast and massaged it. Asuka grabbed his arm, but she was unable to pull it away. It felt... too... good. _Edo,_ she thought to herself desperately, _think of Edo... Edo... Edo!_

She finally pulled Kaiser's hand away and broke off his kiss. She stared at him hungrily, panting and filled with lust. "No," she said firmly, her heart beating too fast. She turned and walked away. Kaiser grabbed her breasts from behind.

"Yes," he whispered alluringly in her ear. Asuka shivered. He began massaging her breasts and licking her ear. Asuka bit her lower lip, trying her best not to moan. _Don't do this, Asuka_, she thought to herself, _Edo is in Grand Hyatt, waiting for you. Waiting... for..._

Kaiser's right hand slowly slid down her body. Asuka gasped for air. His hand lifted up her skirt and slid down her panties. He began fondling her there. Asuka let out a strong, desperate cry.

"You're so damn wet," Kaiser whispered, "why are you resisting so much?" he began licking her ear again. His left hand continued to massage her breast, while his right hand played with her clit. She felt him grow hard behind her.

"Ryo... don't..." her voice trembled, her body ever lusting for his stiffness. _Edo... _

Kaiser scooped her up and carried her, kissing her lips and exploring her mouth as he did so.

"Put me down," Asuka said, less forcefully now. "I need to... go somewhere."

"Yeah," Kaiser said with a grin, "You're going to your bed and you're going to be fucked shitless," he grabbed the key to her room from her pocket. He inserted it in the door.

"No, Ryo," Asuka was desperate for her sanity. She needed to stop this. But her lust was getting in the way. "Ryo, please let me go!"

Kaiser opened the door and threw her on her bed. He charged at her lips and pressed his stiffness against her clit. Asuka moaned forcefully as Kaiser motioned his body back and forth. She grew wetter and wetter.

_Edo! I'm sorry... I can't... be perfect... for you_... An image of Edo appeared in her mind. Kaiser unbuckled his belt, pulled down his pants and took out his hardness. He pulled Asuka's panties down to her legs. Asuka stared back at him, drunk with lust.

"Ryo..." _Edo..._

Kaiser charged himself inside her. Asuka gasped. He groaned and hissed, and began to charge at her over and over again. Asuka shut her eyes tight and screamed.

"Yes... yes!" she exclaimed, panting and sweating. His smoothness fit perfectly inside her and made her loins shake in utter ecstasy. "Oh... oh! Fuck... me...!"

"So you admit it?" Kaiser panted, charging at her even faster, "You've been wanting to do this all this time?"

Asuka moaned in response, her face red and her eyes still closed. "Keep... going! Don't stop!"

Kaiser growled in pleasure, charging at her hard and swift. "I own you," he guttered out.

"More... more!" Asuka pleaded, "please, fuck me!"

"You like that?" he asked.

"Yes!"

"You want this cock fucking you hard?"

"Yes, yes!"

The sensations began to increase exponentially. Asuka's body began twitching. "I'm... almost there... almost there!"

His thrusts began to speed up. She screamed after each thrust. Asuka gritted her teeth and clenched the sheets. "Just a little more! Fuck me more!"

"Oh, you're such a damn good fuck," Kaiser groaned, charging on and on. Her eyes were shut tight. It was coming. She was almost there. Just a little more. A little more. One more thrust…

And then she exploded. She screamed and shuddered. She screamed a name desperately and fervently.

…

…

Kaiser stopped. "What did you say?"


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Asuka lay on her bed, still awake. She was clutching her blanket tightly. She sought comfort. Kaiser had left her hours ago, disappointed with the mentioning of a name. _Edo_. Edo had been on her mind the whole time. And in the end, she finally blurted it out. She found it difficult to sleep tonight. Thoughts of both Kaiser and Edo lingered in her mind.

After everything that happened, here she was once again. Confused, alone, and hurt.

Destiny or fate?

Those two words seem to be interchangeable, but there is a slight difference. Fate is defined as the inevitable incident that will happen no matter how much you alter it. Destiny is defined as the path a person chooses be it good or bad.

For destiny, it is the act of choosing the event; the person chooses which path to take. But for fate, it is an unavoidable event. The person need not choose the event; it just happens.

_Kaiser is my destiny… I always choose to be with him… I always give in to him…_ She thought of her decision to let him in her room when he wanted to talk to her, to watch his Underground duel despite the implications of it, and her decision, her faint decision, to give in to his sexual advances. Asuka sighed. She thought of the million times Edo had popped into her mind. She thought of the coincidence that she bumped into him at the streets of Domino. She thought of the coincidence that Edo happened to see her run to New Otani, heartbroken from what she saw in Kaiser's duel. She thought of the embarrassing incident when he happened to be there, standing beside her as Kaiser kissed her. She didn't need to decide on anything. He was just there. _Fate_. Fate_ seemed to always lend a hand and take me to another path… to another person. To another destination._

_To Edo. _

She sighed again. _C'mon Asuka. Get a hold of yourself. What does your heart tell you?_

A vision of Kaiser and Edo appeared in her mind. _Chase him. Chase one of them. Chase only one, and c__hase him now._

Her evening continued in silence. Reflections needed to be done. She loved Edo, she knew that well. But Kaiser always kept coming up to mess up her decision. She wanted to be with Edo, but she had to stop hurting him. Stop hurting herself.

_Edo needs to become my decision now. My destiny, _Asuka thought, _and not just my fate._

But is she prepared to let Kaiser go? Asuka pursed her lips. Before she met Edo, it was always Kaiser whom she thought of. She missed him, cried for him, and loved him despite everything. She invested so much on him, it was too difficult to let him go. Over a year of memories needs to be thrown away.

For her new destiny.

"Ryo..." Asuka muttered. It was extremely difficult. Perhaps Edo was right. She was not ready for something new. But why does it hurt so much to let it be that way for now?

_Because you love him_, she answered herself, _you love Edo. _And she didn't want to let him go. Tears fell from her eyes. She felt embarrassed to even show herself in front of him now. Not only did she kiss Kaiser in front of him, but she slept with Kaiser behind his back!

"Why are you so stupid?" Asuka exclaimed, aiming the question at herself. She dug her face on her pillow and screamed. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

_Edo deserves better than me, _she thought, _but at least he deserves to know the truth._

And so she has decided. She needed to see him one last time.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

The next day, Asuka walked out of her room, fully determined to follow through what she decided last night. She stared at the room in front of her. Kaiser's room. Then it opened, and out he came.

"Asuka…" the girl's name escaped his lips. His eyes were locked on hers. "Hey."

"Hey," She echoed.

"Asuka, listen… I'm sorry I walked out on you. Everything just happened so fast."

"It's alright, Ryo. I'm fine."

Kaiser sighed, then forced a smile. "So... _Edo_, huh?"

Asuka's face turned red. "I'm... sorry."

Kaiser arched an eyebrow. "Is that why he was here last night? Did you plan to have sex with him?"

Asuka's eyes widened. "No!" she exclaimed, "No... he was just worried about me."

Kaiser's face softened. He took her hand. "Asuka," he began, "please. Let's forget about this. Forget about everything. Let's be together."

Asuka was at a loss for words. She stared at him in shock. "What?"

"We have something. I know it. And we had a history together. Forget about him, Asuka. And we'll forget about the Underground duels. Let's just go somewhere, anywhere. Let's just be together."

_Forget about him, Asuka, _Kaiser's statement echoed in her mind. _Forget about Edo._

"You're... willing to quit underground dueling... to be with me?" it was what she always wanted.

"I am," Kaiser replied, his voice kind.

He was back, Kaiser was back. The Kaiser that she lost. She was almost overjoyed, but then she smelled something peculiar. Tobacco. Asuka looked at him curiously.

"Are you... smoking now?" she asked.

There was silence that wafted between them. They both stared at each other, waiting for someone to say something.

"Yes," Kaiser said finally.

Asuka looked at him suspiciously. "Are you willing to quit that, too?"

"... yes," he said, less enthusiastically.

Asuka sighed. "Ryo, I know we had something, and it was great. It was amazing."

Kaiser seemed to know where this conversation was headed. He looked saddened. "But?"

Asuka felt her heart breaking again. "But I love him." She placed her other hand on top of his. "But please. Quit the underground dueling. Quit your smoking, even if I can't be with you."

Kaiser looked hurt. Asuka leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Goodbye, Ryo." she released his hand and walked away.

Kaiser watched her sadly as she left."I just hope you're happy now." he found himself saying.

* * *

Asuka walked around the streets of Domino. The first hurdle has finally come and gone. And now to deal with the next.

"Edo…" she muttered, remembering his angered face after he saw her kissing Kaiser. She continued walking. It was a big mistake to hurt him. But will she ever be forgiven? She spotted a chocolate shop across the street. _Perhaps… some sweets would help? _Asuka entered the shop.

"Good morning, Madame!" the store clerk greeted. Asuka smiled in return. She looked around. The pleasant scent of chocolate made her stomach grumble. It smelled so delicious. There were millions of chocolates. Dark chocolate. Milk chocolate. White chocolate. Strawberry coated chocolate. Blueberry coated chocolate. Chocolate with nuts inside. _I wonder what Edo would like?_ She thought.

"Are you looking for anything in particular?" the clerk asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes… A perfect gift… for the perfect someone." She said, facing the clerk.

"Perfect, you say?" he said, "Then maybe you should give that special someone a little bit of everything." The clerk suggested, presenting a big box of assorted chocolates. Asuka looked at it. The price was overwhelming, but it _is_ for a special someone after all. She brought out her wallet. "I'll take it."

The clerk nodded and began fiddling with the cash register.

"Oh," Asuka said, "and put it in a nice bag, please."

* * *

Everything was set. She now faced the front door of Grand Hyatt, with the chocolates she bought hiding inside the bag she carried. There was one thing left for her to do. Asuka sighed. _Here goes nothing._

She entered the hotel and walked over to the front desk. "Hi," Asuka greeted. The lady in the front desk greeted her back.

"Um, I was just wondering… is Edo Phoenix out today? If he's busy with a meeting or a duel or..."

"Edo?" the lady said, "Oh, I'm sorry ma'am. But you just missed him. Mr. Phoenix just checked out earlier this morning."

Asuka's heart sank. "He… checked out?"

"I'm afraid so."

The girl's eyes looked away from the front desk. "I see… thanks anyway."

She left the hotel sadly. She looked up at the sky. _You're gone? Already? _Asuka brought out her cell phone. She dialed Edo's phone number.

_We're sorry. But the number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please try again later._

_Damn it. It's that stupid voice again._ Asuka thought. She called again.

_We're sorry. But the number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please try again later._

"Forget it," she muttered, putting back her cell phone in her pocket. _Where can I find you, Edo? In a dueling arena, perhaps? _

* * *

"I'm sorry ma'am. But Mr. Phoenix doesn't have a booking with us today."

"Alright. Thank you."

Asuka walked out the doors of the Kaiba Dome, the last dueling arena she checked in all of Domino.

"How can he not have a booking in _any_ arena in this town?" Asuka grumbled frustratingly, "He's the damn Pro League champ!" She sat down on one of Kaiba Dome's steps and sighed. _Where did I go wrong? Why is fate suddenly changing its course?_

It was all so ironic.

Should she give up?

Asuka stood up. "It's too late to turn back now," she said to herself, and went on her way. She passed by a TV store. She stopped. She thought she saw his face in the monitor. _Edo?_ She stared at the television sets in the shop window, and each one of them were broadcasting him. _Him!_

Asuka stared at the screens, longing. _Yearning_.

"_Yup. That's right,"_ Edo replied to the reporter,_ "I'm heading to America to compete at the international leagues."_

Asuka's heart skipped a beat. "WHAT?" she shouted out loud.

"_Wow!"_ the reporter sounded impressed._ "That's amazing, Mr. Phoenix! So how did you find out that Kaiba Corp. decided to choose you to be the representative of Japan?"_

Edo smirked. "_Well, I was with someone, when I received a call from my manager. I told him I was busy, but he insisted that I show up in an 'emergency meeting', as he called it. I actually rushed the meeting up, because I had no clue what it entailed,_" he chuckled at this, "_Isn't that silly of me?_"

Asuka gasped. Her eyes stared at the screen, mortified. She remembered that moment when she cried on his chest, when his phone suddenly rang.

_"I'm busy right now... __I'm sorry, I can't right now... __No, it's not that… but … no it's... __Alright, alright. Yes, yes I'm going. Bye."_

Her stomach churned. That phone call was a meeting to discuss his opportunity to compete at the international leagues? Asuka felt a stab in her heart. She remembered what Edo had said after he had seen her kiss Kaiser.

"_I came here because I was worried about you. I got your ten missed calls, saw you running to your hotel in tears, and heck, I was so guilty when I had to leave you alone for some meeting, that I rushed everything up, to the extent that my manager scolded me,_ _and _this_ is what I get?_"

Asuka found it hard to breathe. He rushed "some" meeting. _This_ meeting, for her?

The interview on TV went on. "_I almost didn't get accepted!"_ Edo added with a laugh, "_because the representatives thought I was too uninterested._"

The reporter grinned. "_Because your were rushing?_"

Edo's face turned red. "_Yeah..._"

Tears fell from Asuka's eyes. _Edo... you were willing to throw an opportunity like this away... for me?_

"_They wanted me to represent Japan, since in the previous years it's always been Yugi. They wanted another duelist to get this chance this time. And Mr. Kaiba was there. He told me if I didn't want to do it, he'd call up Yugi instead... Whew! You have no idea how embarrassed I felt at that meeting. I mean, with the way I was acting..."_

The reporter smiled. "_So Mr. Phoenix, do you consider yourself at par with Yugi, since you have been granted the same position he did?_"

"_Oh, no! Not at all!_" Edo replied sheepishly, "_Yugi is a legend. But I'm not saying I'm not going to win the international leagues for Japan, because I definitely will._" Edo glanced at his watch. _"Whoa! Got to go… my flight's almost boarding. Wish me luck!"_

"_You don't need luck for dueling, Mr. Phoenix. You're already awesome!"_

"_No,"_ Edo said, "_I meant with catching my flight!"_ He laughed, running to the plane. _"See ya!"_

The reporter faced the camera with a smile. "_And there you have it, folks. Edo Phoenix is-"_

"Leaving?" Asuka exclaimed. "You're leaving? Today? Right now? At this very moment?"

She lost her grip. The bag she was holding fell to the floor. "But… but…"

The camera had zoomed in on Edo, who was running. The professional duelist looked back, smiled, and waved goodbye.

Asuka touched his face sadly.

"You're my destiny..."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Japan succeeded to the quarter finals, along with America, France and Germany.

Edo Phoenix, Japan's representative. Henry Truman, America's representative. Fleur de Cheri, France's representative. Boris Dietrich. Germany's representative.

Asuka watched eagerly as the four finalists stepped on stage. Edo had the best winning statistic out of all four of them. She had been watching every duel in the Leagues, in addition to printing out Edo's dueling schedule so she wouldn't miss any of it. She had been silently rooting for him from a thousand miles away.

Edo Phoenix, 18 wins, 2 losses. Shortest winning duel: 3 turns.

Henry Truman, 15 wins, 5 losses. Shortest winning duel: 10 turns.

Fleur de Cheri, 17 wins, 3 losses. Shortest winning duel: 5 turns.

Boris Dietrich, 14 wins, 6 losses. Shortest winning duel: 1 turn.

The International Leagues, however, also looked at every duelist's performances in various categories, like their shortest turn count to win a duel, quickest turn count to summon their ace monster, etc. Edo's performance was pretty good, too, although it was not the highest among the other four duelists. His edge was his number of wins.

Asuka watched in anticipation as the duelists prepared their Battle Royale duel...

* * *

_Finals._

Japan VS France.

Asuka stared at the TV screen as Edo and Fleur set up their duel disks.

"Sis, time for dinner," Fubuki called.

"Hush!" Asuka snapped, "Edo's duel is starting!"

Fubuki sighed. "You know, it _is_ Fleur's duel, too."

"Yeah, yeah, just be quiet," Asuka said, staring intently at the TV. Fubuki sat on the couch next to his sister.

"I never took you for an Edo fan, sis," Fubuki jeered. Asuka ignored him. The duel was about to start.

**Edo: 4000, Fleur: 4000**

"My turn, draw!" Fleur said, drawing her card. She flipped her blonde hair and grinned. "Monsieur Phoenix, I believe you will find a difficult time dueling me today."

Edo smirked. "Oh really? And why is that?"

"Because," Fleur began, "I did a major re-editting of my deck. So you have no idea what you're up against."

Edo glared at her. "You changed your deck before the duel? Is that even legal for the Leagues?"

"It is," she said with a smile, "I asked before I did my editting. I summon, **Cyber Tutu (Earth/Warrior, Lv3, 1000/800)** in attack position!"

* * *

Asuka's eyes widened. Cyber Tutu, a card from her deck, has just been summoned at the International Leagues, on the opposite side of Edo's field.

Fubuki grinned. "Wow sis, I didn't know Fleur had a Cyber Girl deck."

Asuka hit her brother on the stomach.

* * *

Edo's mouth fell. Cyber Tutu emerged to the field and performed a graceful pirhouette. He looked at Fleur. An image of Asuka replaced Fleur. She smiled at him. He gritted his teeth and shook his head. _Not now, Asuka_.

"I set two cards face down and end my turn," Fleur finished.

Edo's expression grew serious. "My turn, draw!" he drew his card. "I summon **D-Hero Doomlord (Dark/Warrior, Lv3, 600/800)** in defense position!"

The audience cheered as Edo's monster appeared on his field. Edo pointed at Fleur's monster. "Doomlord's effect activates. Banish Cyber Tutu into the future!"

"Not so fast," Fleur said, "I activate my facedown, **Pure Pupil**! I can only activate this card when I control at monster with 1000 attack or less. With this card, I can negate the activation of your monster's effect and destroy it!"

Edo grimaced as the effect of Pure Pupil took effect. A giant eye shot a laser at his monster and was immediately destroyed. "Fine, I activate a Spell card from my hand, **D-Spirit**! This card allows me to Special Summon a D-Hero from my hand. And I Special Summon **D-Hero Diamond Dude (Dark/Warrior, Lv4, 1400/1600)**, in attack position!"

Edo's second Destiny Hero appeared on the field. "With that, I activate Diamond Dude's effect. I look at the top card on my deck, and if it's a Spell Card, I can activate it in the Graveyard during my next Standby Phase." Edo drew his card, and revealed it to Fleur. "The card is Destiny Draw!" he sent the card to his Graveyard.

"Entering Battle Phase," Edo declared.

"At the moment, I activate my other facedown, **Waboku**!" Fleur said. "During this turn, my monster is protected from being destroyed by battle, and I take no battle damage."

Edo gritted his teeth. "I set two cards face down and and my turn."

"Alright then, it's my turn!" Fleur said, "I summon **Cyber Petit Angel (Light/Fairy, Lv2, 300/200)** in defense mode! Because Cyber Petit Angel was summoned, I can add 'Machine Angel Ritual' from my deck."

* * *

Asuka tightened her grip on the throw pillow she clutched near her bosom. "She's going to Summon one of the Machine Angels!" she exclaimed, "Edo, be careful!"

* * *

"I activate from my hand, **Machine Angel Ritual**!" Fleur declared, "I offer Cyber Prima (Light/Warrior, Lv6, 2300/1600) from my hand as a sacrifice to Special Summon **Cyber Angel Benten (Light/Fairy, Lv6, 1800/1500)** in attack position!"

Cyber Angel Benten rose from the ground to Fleur's field. It spun around its fan and glared at Diamond Dude. "Benten," Fleur called, "Attack D-Hero Diamond Dude!" Benten jumped high and slashed its sharp fan at Diamond Dude, who groaned and disappeared. "Furthermore," Fleur said, "Benten's effect makes you inflict damage equal to the defense of the destroyed monster!"

**Edo: 2400, Fleur: 4000**

"I activate my trap card!" Edo exclaimed, "**D-Signal**! When a monster on my field is destroyed, I can Special Summon a D-Hero monster from my deck to my side of the field. Come out, **D-Hero Dunker (Dark/Warrior, Lv4, 1200/1700)**!"

Fleur smirked. "That's fine. My Cyber Tutu can attack you directly if all my opponent's monsters are higher than her attack. Cyber Tutu, attack Monsieur Phoenix!"

"I won't let you do that!" Edo said, "I activate my trap card, **D-Fortune**! When my opponent declares a direct attack, I can banish a D-Hero from my Graveyard to end the Battle Phase. I remove D-Hero Doomlord from play!"

Instantly, Cyber Tutu's attack ceased. "I set one card facedown and end my turn," Fleur said.

"Okay, it's my turn, draw!" Edo said, "On my Standby Phase, D-Hero Diamond Dude's effect takes place. From my Graveyard, I activate **Destiny Draw**! Since it is activated in my Graveyard, I don't need to pay the cost. I draw two more cards. Next, I activate D-Hero Dunker's effect! I send D-Hero Malicious from my hand to the Graveyard give you 500 points of damage!"

**Edo: 2400, Fleur: 3500**

"Next, I activate D-Hero Malicious' effect! By banishing my Malicious from my Graveyard, I can Special Summon **D-Hero Malicious (Dark/Warrior, Lv6, 800/800)** from my deck!"

D-Hero Malicious appeared on his field, beside D-Hero Dunker. "Next," Edo said, "I activate, from my hand, the Spell Card **Over Destiny**! I select a D-Hero monster from my Graveyard and Special Summon a D-Hero from my deck that is equal to or less than half the level of the monster I selected in my Graveyard. I select D-Hero Malicious, and I Special Summon **D-Hero Disc Commander** **(Dark/Warrior, Lv1, 300/300)** from my deck!"

D-Hero Disc Commander appeared alongside Malicious and Dunker. "I sacrifice all three monsters," Edo declared, "and I Special Summon **D-Hero Dogma (Dark/Warrior, Lv8, 3400/2400)** in attack position!"

The crowd went wild as Edo's ace monster appeared on his field. Edo grinned. "Your Cyber Angel is toast, Fleur."

"Let's see about that," Fleur coaxed. Edo stared at her suspiciously. Again, Asuka's face replaced Fleur's. She greeted him with a smile and wave. _Hello, Edo!_

Edo shook his head. "Dogma, attack Cyber Angel Benten!"

"I activate my trap card, **Double Passe**!" Fleur exclaimed, "with this card, I turn Dogma's attack into a direct attack!"

**Edo: 2400, Fleur: 100**

"In turn,Cyber Angel Benten is able to attack your lifepoints directly!" Fleur pointed at Edo. "Go, Benten! Take away his lifepoints!"

**Edo: 600, Fleur: 100**

Edo winced. He looked at Fleur's field. She had Cyber Tutu, Cyber Petit Angel, and Cyber Angel Benten. He had D-Hero Dogma.

_Even though I have the highest attack monster on the field, Fleur can take out my lifepoints by attacking directly using Cyber Tutu, _Edo thought. He looked at his hand.

_Draining Shield. _Edo grinned.

"I set a card facedown and end my turn!" He looked at Fleur, and saw Asuka again. His heart started to beat faster.

"My turn," Fleur said, "I draw!"

_Asuka_, Edo thought, staring intently at Fleur. Asuka giggled and twirled around. _You like my outfit, Edo?_

"I... activate... activate..." He heard Asuka's sweet laugh, her flirtatious wave. She smiled at him. Edo shook his head. _Edo! Concentrate! _"I activate Dogma's effect to half your lifepoints!"

Dogma's effect hit Fleur.

**Edo: 600, Fleur: 50**

She winced and staggered a little. She touched her forehead. She looked a little dizzy. Edo's stomach churned. "Asuka!" he called. "Are you alright?"

* * *

Asuka's eyes widened. She stared in shock as Edo exclaimed her name on national television. "Oniisan," she called to her brother, "Did you... just hear that?"

* * *

Fleur looked at Edo, confused. Edo shook his head. "Are you alright, Fleur?"

"Just fine," Fleur said with a smile. "I draw my card!" She looked at her field, then to Edo's, then laughed. "This duel is mine, Monsieur Phoenix. Cyber Tutu, direct attack on the player!"

Cyber Tutu jumped high into the air.

Edo clenched his fists. _If I activate Draining Shield_, _I can negate Cyber Tutu's attack and increase my life points by a thousand, and on my turn, I can attack Cyber Tutu with Dogma, and Fleur's lifepoints would drop to zero. And I win the International Leagues!_

"I activate my-" Edo stopped. On the other side of the dueling field, he saw Asuka again. _When are you going to see me again, Edo?_ she asked him.

"My... my trap..." he stared longingly at Fleur. _Draining Shield! _Edo's fighting spirit bellowed, _activate Draining Shield, now!_

Come_ back to me, Edo_. Asuka's image stared back at him with sad eyes.

"A... Asuka..." he mumbled under his breath.

Cyber Tutu kicked Edo on the chest. Edo shouted, flew back, and hit the ground hard. His lifepoints dropped from six hundred to zero.

**Edo: 0, Fleur: 50**

* * *

Four months later.

"_Sis? Hello, earth to sis! You there?"_

"Huh?" Asuka's daydreaming state was interrupted by her big brother, Fubuki, who was waving his hand in front of her face.

"Niisan! Stop it!" Asuka said irritably, swatting her brother's hand away.

"Ouch! Hey! Where's your Christmas spirit? No hitting!" Fubuki complained. He looked at Asuka, hoping she would at least smile. "Well… I'm guessing there's nothing in this store that you'd like for Christmas."

The Tenjoin siblings were shopping for Christmas presents. Fubuki had convinced Asuka to tag along, since he still owed her a gift.

"For the last time, oniisan, there's nothing I like in particular. Any gift would be fine with me." She said. _Well, even if I told you what I really wanted for Christmas, you'll never be able to give it to me._ Asuka looked away. _Only one person can. Only one._

"Nonsense!" Fubuki exclaimed. "There's got to be something you want. Everyone should at least want something." He turned to a rack in the corner. "Oh! What about this sexy bathing suit? It'll look good on you! You'll look like one of those hot models in porn magazines!"

Asuka rolled her eyes. "No thanks."

It wasn't long before they finally arrived at a game shop. "Ho… ly… SHIT!" Fubuki shouted. His eyes brightened. His face was glued against the glass window. "It's the latest Call of Duty game! And it's available! Right here! Right now! Oh my god! This is the moment I've been waiting for all my life!"

He felt angelic voices singing for him from the heavens. His eyes sparkled. Just as he was about to drool all over the window, a store clerk placed a sign.

Fubuki's happiness faded. "OUT OF STOCK? You have _got_ to be kidding me!"

Asuka giggled. It's not that she liked to see him sad, it's just that he looked cute when he moped. Moping Fubuki. Priceless.

"That's alright, oniisan. I'm sure we'll get it in other stores. This is Japan. If it isn't here, then it's not available anywhere in the world."

"That's exactly my point!" Fubuki cried. "That's it! I'm ordering from this store. And I'm going to get that kick-ass game first thing tomorrow morning!"

"But-"

Fubuki ran inside the store. Asuka blinked. She sighed and shook her head. "What an idiot..."

She saw her brother through the glass window. He was acting a lot like a maniac, demanding for that game. Everyone was staring at him. The store clerk seemed overwhelmed by him.

_Ugh, how embarrassing!_ Asuka thought. She walked away. _Maybe I'll meet up with him later._

Asuka walked inside a bookstore. _Hm… I wonder if there's a decent book to read in here…_ she thought, scanning the pages on one of the novels in a nearby shelf.

"_Here you go, li'l guy." _a familiar voice said.

Asuka's heart skipped a beat. She looked around.

A little boy's voice gasped excitedly. "_T__hank you!"_

The familiar voice chuckled. "_No prob. Autographs are my specialty."_

_Oh god,_ Asuka thought, _Could it be? Oh god. Oh god oh god oh god!_ Asuka placed the book back on the shelf and began to search.

_Where are you?_

She looked to her left. To her right. Nowhere. Was she just imagining things? She turned around. She saw him, standing there, in the flesh. She couldn't believe it. She ran after him. He was about to exit the bookshop.

"Wait, Edo!" Asuka called.

He turned. Edo's face brightened. "…Asuka?"

"Hi!" she greeted.

"Hey!" he said with a smile. "Wow, Asuka! It's you! It's... It's been a while... how are things?"

Asuka couldn't stop smiling. She was thrilled that Edo- Edo!- was right there in front of her. "Fine! I'm doing fine."

Finally! After waiting for so long, he was finally there. Right there. Only a few inches away from her.

"Great," he said. "And how are things going with you and Kaiser?"

Asuka frowned. He still had that notion on his head after all this time? "Ryo and I haven't been in touch since that time at New Otani."

Edo looked surprised. "Oh... I see."

There was a brief silence.

"So," Asuka began, "How are you handling the whole scandal?"

After it was revealed to the public that Edo had set a Draining Shield and did not activate it at the International Leagues, there was a huge debate on whether Fleur's win was legitimate. Some rumors spread that Fleur had given Edo sexual favors in order to withdraw his activation of the card that would've won him the entire League. Even after four months, the whole thing was under careful investigation. When brought to interviews regarding the scandal, Edo declined to answer further questions.

"Oh," Edo smirked, "You heard about that?"

"Of course," Asuka said, "It's all over the news! Mr. Kaiba is quite disappointed in you."

Edo frowned. "Yeah... I know. I don't know if he'll ever give me another chance. I lost a lot of sponsors because of it. They thought the rumors were true."

Asuka stared at him sadly. "Is... is it true? That you had sex with Fleur?"

Edo shook his head. "I did not have sex with her. She won fair and square. I just chose not to activate my trap."

Asuka bit her lower lip. Her fists clenched. "Why?" she shouted. Her sudden outburst stunned Edo. "Why would you do that? Japan would've won! _You _would've won! Why would you throw away a duel like that?"

Edo couldn't answer.

"I watched all your duels, Edo. I watched you rise to the top, and what do you do? You just throw all that hard work away!" Asuka's voice was filled with frustration.

Edo looked at her in amazement. "You watched all my duels?"

Asuka's cheeks turned bright red. She turned away. "Well..."

"_Edo, there you are!"_ a woman's voice called. Asuka froze. Edo turned posed a bright smile. "Stephanie!" he beamed.

Asuka's heart sank. _Stephanie?_

A girl with brown, shoulder-length hair was running towards Edo. She wore a black mini-skirt and a dark brown jacket. Her white shirt had a ribbon neatly tied around her waist.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. She pulled him closer and kissed him.

Asuka's dreams of being with Edo shattered.

Edo broke off the kiss. He looked at Asuka. Asuka stared back at him with hurt eyes.

"Guess what I got for you!" Stephanie asked.

Edo turned his head to Stephanie. "I don't know, but I'll find out on Christmas morning."

"A sweater!" she exclaimed, pulling it out of her shopping bag. "This will look _so _cute on you!"

_He's already cute enough as is, _Asuka grumbled in her mind.

Stephanie faced her. Her smile faded. "Oh, who's _this_ supposed to be?"

Asuka felt her anger rise. _How rude! _she thought.

"Oh! Um, Stephanie, this is Asuka. Asuka, Stephanie." Edo introduced.

"Hi." Stephanie greeted.

"Hi." Asuka said through gritted teeth.

"So Asuka, have you made a Christmas wish yet?" she asked.

"Yes, of course!" _One wish? Get your hands off my man, you bitch!_

"Well, I hope it comes true." Stephanie said.

"Me too," Asuka agreed.

Stephanie faced Edo. "So… are you done finding a present for me?"

"Yup. But I'm not giving it to you 'till Christmas."

"What? Why?" Stephanie whined.

It's_ a Christmas present, idiot. You're not supposed to open it 'till the 25th._

"Because I know you're going to open it." Edo answered.

Stephanie whimpered. "Fine, then." she perked up again. "Let's go, Edo. We've got a lot of shopping to do!"

Edo looked at Asuka for a moment, then looked back at Stephanie. "You go on ahead. I'll follow later," he said.

"Alright." Stephanie said, giving him another quick kiss. Asuka resisted the urge to scream. She clenched her fists tightly.

"I'll just be at that shop." Stephanie told him. She then faced Asuka. "It was nice to meet you, Asuka."

"Yeah, you too." Asuka said, forcing a smile.

The girl walked away. Edo faced Asuka. "I'm sorry about that."

"It's not a problem at all," Asuka said, "You have a great Christmas, Edo." She turned her heel and walked.

"Wait a minute!" Edo said. Asuka stopped, but didn't turn back. She didn't want him to see the tears forming in her eyes.

"We haven't talked or seen each other in months, and you're just going to walk away from me like this?"

Asuka caught her breath. Her tears began to fall. "It's better off this way," she said, her voice shaking. Then, she ran.

Edo watched her leave. "No, it's not," he muttered sadly, then turned to catch up with Stephanie.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

_I couldn't just barge in to his life like that… he's with someone else now, _Asuka thought as she ran. Tears continued to fall from her eyes.

…_He doesn't need to know my feelings, my hopes and dreams... Not anymore. He'll be alright._

Her heart thudded loudly from her chest. Thump_ thump. Thump thump._

_He will be happy… without me in his life… and that's..._

Her limbs felt weak. Her body surged adrenalin. It took every once of effort for her to say it out loud. "That's good enough for me!" she cried out, bursting out of the mall and standing in front of the nearby park. She watched desperately as the people around her were cheerful and glee, getting ready for Christmas. "Because, Edo..." she muttered, "Edo, I love you. I love you!"

She screamed to no one.

* * *

"Thank you very much for complying," Fubuki said with a bright smile. He now had Call of Duty in his hands.

"Anytime, sir." The manager of the store said.

_I can't believe it… I'm the first person in the world to get my hands on this thing…_ Fubuki thought. He walked out of the game shop, feeling giddy. He saw his sister right outside the mall. He cheerfully skipped to her.

"Hey sis! Guess what I have!" he beamed as he walked towards her, "I'll give you a clue! It was said to be _out of stock!_"

His sister didn't answer. "He-LLO!" Fubuki said, "Earth to little sis!" he nudged her playfully. She whimpered. Fubuki stopped. His happiness ceased. "Asuka?"

Asuka's body trembled. "Oniisan… I want to go home."

"Oh sis…" he lightly placed a hand on her shoulder. "What happened?"

"PLEASE!" Asuka exclaimed, finally turning to Fubuki. "Please, oniisan… I want to go home!"

Fubuki stared at her in shock. "Asuka..."

"Oniisan!" She exclaimed, throwing arms around him. Fubuki hugged his sister tightly as she cried on his chest.

* * *

"Alright, we're home," Fubuki announced. Asuka unlocked the car door and ran up to her room, ignoring her brother's calls. She went inside and slammed her door shut. She locked the door and threw herself on her bed, grabbed a pillow, and buried her face on it. She screamed and thudded her hands frantically. Fresh tears fell from her eyes. She screamed again, in agony and pain. She gasped for air, and screamed again. She got up, grabbed her pillow, and hit the wall hard, again and again.

"It's not fair!" she cried, "It's... not... fair!" she hit the wall again, over and over, until she fell forward, crying hard. She screamed once more. Desperately, she got up, sniveling, and pulled out her first drawer with her cold, shaky hands. She suddenly felt sick upon seeing the empty drawer. Her diary, the only object that kept her memories of Edo intact, was now gone. "M-my... diary…" she muttered. "No..." it wasn't enough that she lost the real Edo, but she had to lose her memories of him, too.

She fell to her bed, hugged her pillow, and cried silently.

Two hours later, she heard a knock on the door.

"Go away!" Asuka exclaimed.

"Sis…" _Fubuki._

"I said go away!" Asuka shouted angrilly.

"I'm going back to the mall," Fubuki said, "I forgot to get something… something really important…"

Silence.

"Whatever," Asuka replied sadly.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." Fubuki said. There was a pause. She almost thought Fubuki had left. "Asuka," he called.

"What?" she snapped.

"Get out of there," Fubuki ordered, "It's the Christmas season for crying out loud!"

Silence again.

"Aren't you leaving?" Asuka grumbled.

Fubuki sighed. He set off.

* * *

_I've got to get something for Asuka,_ Fubuki thought, _something special…_

He walked down the streets.

He walked past a chocolate shop. _Perhaps she'd like chocolate?_ Fubuki thought. He remembered the day when his sister brought home a box of assorted chocolates. She mentioned that it was for him, but… Fubuki knew his sister better than that. He knew it when she lied.

Fubuki looked at the shop window. His eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, Asuka's gonna love this!" He said with a grin, and rushed inside.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

December 24th.

"'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse…"

Asuka smiled as her brother recited the Christmas poem. He was so well prepared for it; he wore the red suit and had a pillow on his stomach to make him look fat. He wore a white beard and a red hat, and had a brown sack behind him. A number of kids sat side by side on the floor, listening to Fubuki as he continued reciting.

"_Your brother sure is something,"_ Judai said.

"I know," Asuka smiled. The gang was having a Christmas party at the Tenjoin residence. Everyone was there; Judai, Sho, Bastion, Manjyoume, Kenzan, Johan…

_Well, almost everyone… _Asuka thought.

"Aniki! You should try the dessert! It's delicious!" Sho's voice exclaimed. Judai's eyes lit up.

"Sweet!" he faced Asuka. "Well, catch ya later! I'm off!" he said, running his way to the dessert portion of the buffet.

"Aniki! Wait up!" Sho shouted, tailing after him.

Asuka watched them as they left. _Those two are really a one-of-a-kind duo._

"Hey Asuka, look above us!" Manjyoume said, suddenly appearing beside her. She looked up. Mistletoe. And Manjyoume was holding it up.

"In your dreams, Manjyoume." Asuka snapped.

He frowned. "C'mon, Asuka! It's the Christmas season! Just see it as a Christmas gift for me." He beamed.

She turned to face him. "You won't stop, would you?"

"Never in a million years."

Asuka sighed. She took the mistletoe from him. "Manjyoume… I'm not in the mood for this right now. Okay?"

She put the mistletoe in her pocket. Manjyoume grinned.

"So you're saving it for later, I see." He said, "Sure! I can wait." And with that, he walked toward the buffet.

Asuka sighed. It was Christmas Eve. Her friends were all here. Everyone was having fun. Except for her. The fact was, she still couldn't get over her heartbreak. _Forget about it, Asuka. Enjoy the night…_ she thought to herself. _Don't let it get to you…_

"Alright, folks! It's gift giving time!" Fubuki chimed. "The time is now! Open your gifts and thank the people who gave them to you! Merry Christmas! _God bless us everyone!_"

Everyone started to give their gifts to each other and open their own. Fubuki got a present from the many presents under the Christmas tree. He read the card. "To Judai Yuki. Have a Sweeeet Christmas! Get your New Year on! From the Tenjoin siblings."

Judai laughed. "Thanks!" he took the gift from Fubuki and went back to his seat.

"We hope you'll like it, Judai." Asuka said.

"I'm sure I will!" Judai said, shaking the present. "It sounds cool!"

"To Sho Marufuji. Merry Christmas! Happy New-roid Year! From the Tenjoin siblings." Fubuki said, handing the gift to Sho.

The gift giving went on. Everyone had their present. They were all thrilled with their new things; snow globes, mugs, Duel Monster cards, video games…

"This is an awesome watch! Thanks sis!" Fubuki exclaimed.

Asuka smiled. "I'm glad you like it, oniisan."

Fubuki grinned. She grabbed her wrist. "C'mon. It's time for you to get your present, from yours truly. It's at the garden."

Fubuki and Asuka walked out from the crowd toward their backyard garden. Fubuki slid the sliding door open, and they both walked outside. There was no one there.

"Wow, I never realized how peaceful our garden was," Asuka said.

Fubuki nodded. He pointed at the patio. "There it is, li'l sis, your present." Asuka smiled. She walked up to the patio and took the small box. She started unwrapping her present...

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

"Chocolates?" she said.

"Yup," Fubuki grinned.

"You made me walk all the way out here for chocolates?" Asuka looked at her brother suspiciously. "That's a little peculiar isn't it?"

Fubuki shrugged. "Well, I gotta go back to the party, sis!" he said, dashing for the house. He went inside and slid the door shut, and locked it. Asuka let out an indignant gasp.

Asuka stomped to the sliding door and banged her right fist at it. "Fubuki Tenjoin! Open this door this instant!"

Fubuki placed a hand on his ear and neared in closer to the sliding door. Then he pulled away and shrugged and shook his head.

"FUBUKI TENJOIN, I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!" Asuka exclaimed, banging on the sliding door again. "Unlock the god damn door!"

Fubuki grinned on the other side of the door, waved, and walked away.

"FUBUKI!" Asuka shouted. She sighed. She looked at the box of chocolates she had in her hand.

Suddenly, she heard a light chuckle from behind her. Asuka stiffened. She couldn't bring herself to look behind her to see who it was.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"Mm," the stranger said, "That looks really good. Can I have some?"

_It can't be._ Slowly, Asuka turned to see who the voice belonged to. She lost her grip on the box of chocolates. Her knees threatened to buckle. She lost her voice, but managed to utter two words: "It's you..."

Edo smiled. He walked towards her and picked up the box on the floor. "You dropped this," he said, handing it to her.

Asuka was speechless. She took the box from the boy's hands. She stared at him open-mouthed. She tried to form a question.

"Edo, Wha… What are you doing he-"

Edo took her face, leaned in close and met his lips with hers. Asuka's eyes fell shut, and soon she dropped the box again and wrapped her free arms around his shoulders. She tasted cinnamon, and her heart leaped for joy. _It's him,_ She thought, her eyes forming tears, _it's really him… And he's right here, in front of me!_ She opened her mouth, and Edo's tongue entered her. _Holding me…_ She pressed against him harder, and she met his tongue with hers. _Kissing me…_ She grabbed his suit to pull him closer to her.

_Loving me._

They broke off. Their faces were close, only inches apart.

Asuka stared at his cool, sapphire eyes. They stared back at her, looking thrilled and content.

_"What a kiss!"_ Fubuki exclaimed. Asuka looked to her side and saw her brother Fubuki, holding up a video camera.

"Oniisan!" Asuka exclaimed. He only laughed.

"This is going to be the most popular video on Youtube!"

"No!" Asuka fumed. "Delete that right now!"

"Goin' to youtube!" Fubuki jeered, dashing away.

Asuka sighed frustratingly. "That idiot!"

"I personally don't mind him posting it on Youtube." Edo said with a shrug.

Asuka turned to him. He was still there. In front of her. She wasn't dreaming.

"I already have that Fleur scandal to worry about," he continued, "This is not a big deal. I mean, at least this is _real_."

Asuka's heart melted at his words. "Your duel... with Fleur-"

"-It was you, Asuka," Edo admitted finally, "Your deck. Fleur's deck. She reminded me of you. And I..." he stopped, taking a moment to stare at her brown eyes. "...got distracted," he finished. "And I knew I was throwing away a big honor. But seeing you right now, having to be able to kiss you again... that's all I really need."

"Oh, Edo..." Asuka muttered sadly, "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about," Edo said.

"Yes, there is!" Asuka persisted. She took a deep breath. _Here it goes. _"I slept with Ryo. After you saw me kissing him. I slept with him."

"And you screamed my name when you came," Edo added, amused.

Asuka stared back at Edo in horror. "How... how did you-"

"Fubuki told me," Edo said, "he has your... _Edo diary_, or so he calls it. He showed it to me, and told me what you were going through."

Asuka's cheeks turned red. "He... has my diary?" _I should have known_. Edo nodded. Asuka grumbled. "That little worm," she said, "he's been reading my diary! AGAIN! Oh, I'm gonna kill him..."

Edo chuckled. "Don't be too hard on him," he said, "I read it, too. Every page. Front and back. I know how you really feel about me, Asuka."

Asuka looked back at Edo, feeling the familiar guilt all over again. "Edo," she said, "I'm sorry I slept with Ryo."

"Kaiser's just lucky he got another taste of you," Edo said, "but I know you weren't really with him, were you?"

Asuka smiled back at him. "No, I wasn't. I thought of you, Edo. That night, I thought of you, even when I was with him. I was always with you," her eyes watered again. "I... I..." her voice began to tremble. Edo gently wiped her tears away.

"I love you, Edo!" she shouted, her body shaking. "I love you!"

"Do you really?" Edo asked, his voice serious and stern.

"Yes!" Asuka cried, "I do!"

He charged his lips at hers. She took him desperately, longingly. She moaned for him. Edo kissed her harder, like a hungry lion.

Asuka pulled away. "Wait, what happened with Stephanie?"

"Who's Stephanie?" Edo teased.

Asuka pouted. "Edo, I'm serious."

Edo sighed. "That was nothing. We started dating about a week ago. We hit it off well at first, but then she started acting like we're married or something," he explained.

"How did you meet her anyway?" Asuka asked.

Edo didn't answer. Asuka tilted her head in wonder. "Edo?"

"I met her at a bar," Edo admitted, "after I saw you kiss _him_."

Asuka furrowed her eyebrows. "What happened?"

"I tried to drink my pain away," Edo said, "And she took care of me."

Asuka placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. "_Took care of you?_"

"Yeah," Edo confirmed.

"You mean, she slept with you."

Edo's cheeks turned red. "Well, I'm not too sure. That night was a big blur to me. But then I met her again last week, and we decided to try things out."

Asuka's face looked crestfallen. Edo gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry," he said, caressing her face, "She's not you," he kissed her lips, "And you are my destiny."

Asuka smiled. Edo kissed her again. She closed her eyes and pulled him closer. She slowly placed her right hand on the boy's pocket. She pulled away again. "What's this?" she asked, pulling out a small thin box. She arched an eyebrow. "Is this what I think it is?"

"Yeah." Edo said.

Asuka giggled. "Why is there a condom in your pocket? Do you think we're gonna… you know… do something?"

Edo raised his hands up in surrender. "Hey, don't ask me. Your brother gave it to me."

Asuka's eyes widened. "Oniisan? He… He gave you that?"

Edo nodded.

Asuka felt all the more embarrassed. "He thinks we're gonna... we're gonna..."

"-have sex," Edo said, "And there's a lube in my other pocket, just in case the condom doesn't have enough on it."

Asuka laughed. "Wow. My brother really had you well equipped, didn't he?"

"Yeah," Edo said with a chuckle.

Asuka looked at the condom. _Banana flavor._ She looked at Edo. She smiled playfully.

"You know…" Asuka began, "I don't mind being on Santa's naughty list tonight."

Edo's grin was as sly as a fox. "Well… I guess one smudge on my clean record couldn't hurt, right?"

Asuka held his hand. Together, they left the party.

* * *

_December 25th, 12am._

Edo and Asuka lay together on a motel bed, naked and tangled in each other's arms. Clothes had been tossed all over the room. Everything was a complete and utter mess.

Asuka sighed, content at what she now had. Her head rested on Edo's chest. Edo caressed her skin, gently and softly.

"I love you Asuka Tenjoin," he cooed.

Asuka smiled. She was finally in his arms at long last. This was where she belonged. "And you are my everything, Edo Phoenix."

She turned her head up to face him, and gave her destiny and fate a long, sweet kiss.


End file.
